Harmony's Tale: Part Two: Harmony's love, Harmony's life
by StarryNight1313
Summary: The second installment to Harmony's tale, the daughter of Fluttershy and Discord, who is grown and ready for more in her life. But what if her magic can't be controlled after all?


Part Two: Harmony's love, Harmony's life

Since discovering her talent, Harmony's parents were a bit more preoccupied with keeping her powers under control than helping her to make friends, which suited the filly just fine. Twilight switched gears quickly, working with Discord directly to problem-solve Harmony's new gifts. It seemed that she was a powerful creature, and her magic was ever more dangerous when the girl grew upset or too sad; she became practically volatile when she was angered. However, unbeknownst to the father and the tutor, Harmony rather liked her new powers; they suited her just fine. After all, now she could do just about anything she wanted to. Magic was fun that way. Still, her authority figures were practically breathing down her neck to control her powers, so she was forced to learn their little "calming techniques" and whatnot.

"Focus, Harmony! I need to be able to see that you can do this without the use of calming classical music in the background," Twilight stated, if a bit tartly.

The filly, now growing quicker than ever, was standing in the middle of the living room. She was still rather lean, but height-wise she stood a bit taller than her mother, who was watching worriedly from a chair in the corner of the room. Discord, the father, was standing by his bride, biting his "nails" off of his eagle claw. Harmony flipped her mane, which draped over her left eye, and frowned deeply. Her midnight blue eyes seemed almost stormy, though the light of day streaming through the windows should have made them shine brightly.

"I am. You know I am. Just let me concentrate, Twilight."

Harmony bit her lower lip, fangs ever-present and growing longer and sharper by the day. Any longer and she would start to resemble a bat-pony. A bead of sweat, born out of deep concentration, languidly dripped down her muzzle. Her mouth opened and her lips smacked once, then twice. She inhaled to fill her lungs to their capacity and let out one shrill note. As she sung, the bowl of fruit in the middle of the room began to float up. As the fruit hovered, they all began to change form into delicate little white flowers. Harmony let out one final screech and the flowers fell gently to the wooden floor. The spell had been successfully completed.

The filly, now truly no longer a filly, wiped the forehead from her head with a cheetah paw. She smiled largely and sniffed at Twilight. The tutor rolled her eyes, long used to her tutee's sarcastic nature, and returned the grin.

"You did well, very well. I'm so pleased," Twilight complimented her student warmly.

Discord flew out from behind his wife and hugged his daughter from behind. She hissed playfully, then gave in to her doting father. Fluttershy got down from her chair, smiling on the outside, but inside still stricken with worry. She went to her friend and pulled her to the side.

"I know how hard you've been working with Harmony, and I appreciate everything you do…"

Twilight nodded as a cue for her friend to continue.

"However, I am still apprehensions that her powers may be too unpredictable to use regularly. Tell me, Twilight, can she be trusted with such great responsibility? I will trust whatever you say…"

The purple unicorn exhaled through her nostrils and shuffled in place for a moment. In truth, it was difficult to discern whether or not Harmony could be trusted. To be completely honest, it was all within the filly's control. When the girl was pleased, she seemed to be in control and fully functioning; however, the opposite was when the filly was wailing with pain and out of control. Considering her answer carefully, the unicorn began to speak, yet even still she was unsure of her words.

"Fluttershy, you know that Harmony is very important to me. These past few years with her have been very special to me in my life. I think that she is talented and intelligent. Yet her emotions are too volatile to be trusted completely. For now, it may be best to acknowledge that she has a certain amount of control and let her wander into town as she pleases. Beyond this, I withhold any opinion."

Fluttershy let her head fall a little bit. She wanted more than anything for her darling child to be free and happily living with others, yet the fact remained that she had magic, uncontrolled magic. The mother smoothed back her pink hair, thanked her friend one last time, and went to talk to her daughter. The unicorn waved good-bye to the family and quietly took her leave, as she did most days. After the purple pony had gone, the family rearranged the furniture back to their normal positions, and sat together on the couch. Fluttershy held her daughter's paw in her hoof, stroking it gently.

"Harmony, you know how proud I am of you, don't you?" asked the mother, gently.

The child nodded slowly. She kissed Fluttershy upon the forehead gently, although the fangs did scrape her head a bit as the kiss pulled back. Harmony's deep eyes focused on her mother for a moment. The years had not aged her physically, but the daughter could tell that inside she seemed much more aged and tired. The teal eyes seemed weary.

"Mom, I love you. Please don't worry so much. I promised when I got my cutiemark that I wouldn't leave the cottage grounds and I haven't. So please don't concern yourself so."

Discord stroked the top of his daughter's head, careful to avoid her horns. He gazed into her eyes as he so often did when she was a child and smiled deeply.

"I think you can go out. At least try, one last time, to go out into Ponyville."

Fluttershy smiled. She had Discord were always on the same page, at least when it came to their child. She patted her child's paw and pushed her off the couch gently.

Harmony flapped her bat wings happily and came down upon the wooden floor gently. She turned back to her parents and smiled broadly. Squealing excitedly, she zipped up to her room and grabbed her bag, grabbing her headphones and shoving them into their bag as she did so. It seemed strangely reminiscent of her first day of school…

The parents waved her good-bye as she left the house. Harmony flew into the blue sky of the afternoon, proudly displaying her black wings as she went. The sunlight streamed through the wings, making them appear a mottled-purple-grey color. Her bag was at her side, headphones within the bag. Though she was afraid, Harmony could not help but feel exhilarated. After all, this was her first time out of the house in a very long time…

Somewhere within her was a voice calling her to reason, but she did not wish to listen. After all, her freedom was at stake. She could be free for a day, for a lifetime. Those ponies would have certainly gotten past her looks at this point. Certainly, without doubt. Below her, Harmony saw the edge of the Everfree Forest, the very thing that frightened her mother to the core. It seemed dreary and dark, but not enough to be upsetting. Instead, she gazed towards Ponyville, the town of her discontent. But, ever pleasant and naïve, Harmony landed lightly upon the dirt path of Ponyville. The sun shone down fervently.

The tall filly trotted gaily down the path. She felt the soft dirt underneath her nails in her front paws. It was a good sensation. She smiled at those ponies who were walking down the street beside her. Nopony said a word to her. Undaunted, Harmony continued onward until she saw the shop she had been looking for: the record store. With a deep breath, she pushed open the door and made her way inside the shop.

It was exactly as she recalled it. The store, despite the large windows in the front, was extremely dark and had a damp feeling to it. There was a lighted candle somewhere towards the back of the room for the girl could smell it burning. It was a lavender scent. However pleasant the candle was, she much preferred the vintage smell of the records. With a squeal, she flapped up to see the stacks at the very top. As she was flipping through the records with one claw primed, a noise sounded from behind her. It was a cough. Harmony started and flipped around, still in the air, to find an earth pony below her. It was a male pony, apparently, for his head was a bit more boxy-shaped. The female fluttered down, almost as her mother would, and set herself firmly upon the ground in order to greet him.

He grinned broadly and coughed once, weakly, before speaking.

"Welcome to Dark Fire Records. My name is Flip Side."

For no reason whatsoever, seemingly, the other blushed and her mottled grey fur seemed to feel hot. She adjusted the strap of her bag with one of her paws and shuffled her back hooves slightly. In a soft voice, she responded:

"Hey, yeah my name's Harmony."

In an effort to impress the earth pony, the girl flipped her long back mane. Heavy as it was, as she flipped it, her other eye was revealed for a moment. The girl was giddy with excitement for this was her first normal interaction with another pony. It seemed so easy now! However, she did not wish to appear anything other than laid-back, so she refrained from speaking her mind or saying anything further. Instead, she lowered her eyes and studied the brown pony before her.

He was certainly handsome, by most ponies' standards. His coat was of a medium brown color, but healthy looking. His tail and mane were short, yet there was a long chunk of hair, like bangs, hanging down in the middle of his forehead. His cutiemark was, of course, a record with a small purple musical note upon it. It was his eyes that were the most mesmerizing, at least to Harmony. They were an intense violet and seemed to glow in the low lighting of the shop. For some reason, she felt as though there was nothing more important than this moment, right here and now. However, there was no logical reason to believe so.

Flip Side smirked and asked, smartly:

"So, here we have all of our classical composers, in order by date released or date of supposed release. Hundreds of years do tend to muddy the waters on some of the more precise dates. Do you like classical music? I myself took classical training on the piano, however I do find that some of the older compositions didn't quite challenge me. After all, once one can move past a few arpeggiotunas and some wild presto movements, the rest is filly's play. Don't you agree?"

Harmony appeared taken-aback for a moment. Her eyes grew round, as if she were a little deer caught in the lamplight. Then her lucidity returned to her and she blinked twice. Flicking her tail confidently, she responded:

"Well, I started with the classics and I find that they still hold water. After all, these pieces became the backbone for the blues and later for rock and roll. The complicated notes and the constant change of time signatures in some of the pieces make for a very interesting pallet. I have not had any sort of musical training; however, I can tell you how…influential…classical music is upon my life."

It was the male's turn to be surprised. He took a small step backwards. With a nervous laugh, he rubbed his mane, flipping it so that both of his sharp eyes were clearly visible. Thinking quickly, he decided to change the subject, or rather, change tactics.

"I can see you are well-versed in musical topics. Tell me, Harmony, why have I not seen you in the store before?"

This question seemed to bring about a change in the other pony. Harmony turned slightly to the side so that she no longer was muzzle to muzzle with Flip Side. Her bat wing was visible as she turned. Not for the first time since she had entered the shop, Flip Side was shocked. The girl, her fangs hanging out of her mouth, sighed lightly. After a moment, she smiled and spoke in an airy voice.

"Oh, I came here as a child, however I didn't return for some time."

Flip Side nodded understandingly.

"Yeah, I wasn't in charge of the shop until just this year. When I finally got my cutiemark a young filly I always told myself I would buy and run a record store. So, when I saved up enough bits I bought this old place. The pony before me, I forget his name, moved out when I moved in."

Harmony let the conversation take a natural pause. She realized, for the first time, that this pony had not brought up the way she appeared, as she previously had expected. It felt wonderful, to just be a part of normalcy for a change. In a way, it was what started a light note in her day. However, she felt it only best to answer the question that was sure to be burning in his mind, though he had been so nice to refrain from questioning her thus far.

"I'm not a monster, by the way. I'm half draconequus. That's why I look the way I do," said the female, candidly.

Flip Side took a nervous step backward and chuckled in a low voice. His face seemed flushed. The girl could not help but laugh a little; he had tried his utmost to keep his emotions in check. She shifted the bag on her shoulder and smiled politely.

"I promise I don't bite!" she giggled.

This made him perk up and he trotted to the side, looking for something evidently as his eyes were trained away from her. Harmony followed him, her sleek form rippling as she sashayed over to his side. Flip Side was distinctly aware of her soft breath upon his shoulder. He was relieved that it did not smell of blood. Though she had not said she was a bat pony, the wings and fangs seemed to indicate otherwise. He thought it best to put it out of his mind.

"This!" exclaimed the male, holding one record aloft in his hoof.

It was an old record and, judging by the battered paper cover, was in need of some love and repair. The dust flew away as the record was held up and it revealed a dingy yellow cover with a single letter upon it: R. Flip Side seemed pleased with himself and smirked before placing the record safely in Harmony's paw. She blew away the dust gently and looked at the record closer. There were no details as to what type of music was on the record, purely judging by the cover. There was truly only one way to find out: to play it, of course! Harmony spotted a record player at the front of the store. She flew to it and placed the record into the player. With a click, the record settled into the player. The girl seated herself near the speaker and put the pin onto the record. There was a burst of static, then the music started to play.

Oh, how to describe it? The music began with a bang of saxophones playing in a G major. The music was boisterous and seemed to bounce in and out of rhythm. Then, suddenly, it fell into a lovely cadence with sweeping violins and cellos. Harmony sighed in deeply and perked up her ears, which seemed slightly larger than her male counterpart's. He was behind her, also listening intently. The song ended with several guitar riffs piled upon one another until a single note was drawn out for several bars. The record skipped then the static began once more, signaling the end of the record. Harmony pulled the pin off and her ears flicked backward. Flip Side turned his head so that his hair parted to reveal his second eye. A grin was plastered upon his face.

"Did you love it or what?"

She nodded enthusiastically and stood up, flicking her tail as she did so.

"Yes! It was the most unique thing I have ever heard…who made this?"

Flip Side, with his intense violet eyes shining, responded proudly:

"I did, years ago. I ripped several songs and multiple riffs and notes from other records to make this one. It was a labor of love, but I did it. That was how I knew I loved music, especially records."

The girl's midnight eyes lit up in ecstasy.

"Wow! That's an amazing story. I love music too; my tutor was the one who introduced me to all kinds of different music."

The earth pony nodded politely. Harmony gazed outside, distractedly. She muttered something under her breath, then moved slowly towards the door.

"It's…late. I have to go," said she, though the sun was just barely beginning to set.

Flip Side chuckled jovially.

"Why? Do you turn into a vampire after dark?" asked he, winking.

She shook her head shyly, letting her mussy locks flood her face and spill into her eyes. With a paw, she waved goodbye before departing. The door shut silently behind her. The earth pony did not react initially, but shrugged to himself a moment later. He hummed something under his breath and began to reorganize the records once more.

The princess of chaos sped through the town, barely noticed. She beat her wings powerfully once, then twice, before taking off with a cloud of dust behind her. As she flew, her hair waved behind her, revealing how long her horns had become recently. The satchel, with the headphones still inside, beat violently against her side as she sped on towards the cottage. As she went, her heart beat furiously. Her first interaction with a normal pony outside of her family! It had gone much better than she ever could have believed. Perhaps she could be a part of pony kind after all…

Then, as she was flying, Harmony suddenly spotted the trees at the edge of the Everfree Forest. A mist had settled on the bottom of the forest, shrouding any sort of path that the animals had carved. There seemed to be a strange presence radiating from the forest, but what it could be Harmony had no idea. For now, she flew by, heading back towards her home as she had initially intended.

As the daughter returned home, there was a commotion in the house. Fluttershy, the doting mother she was, was racing around the house, prancing in place as she worried. Discord, equally as bad as his wife, was popping in and out of the house randomly. They both were looking for their precious daughter. When the door shut behind Harmony, her parents ran to her, tackling her to the floor. She landed with a thud, groaning softly.

"What's the matter?"

Fluttershy's teal eyes were filled with tiny tears. She hugged her daughter tightly.

"Oh, darling! You were gone so long. What happened? Are you alright?"

Harmony sighed and pushed her mother away, unintentionally hurting Fluttershy's feelings in the process. The yellow pegasus stood as well, looking a bit dejected. Her wings were folded tightly to her sides. Discord scooped up his daughter and cradled her lovingly. He, too, seemed concerned. The daughter squirmed in his arms, beating her bat wings as she did so.

"Dad, I'm not a little filly anymore! I'm growing bigger every day."

She broke free of her father's grip and landed gently upon the floor. Her back hooves clicked as she landed upon the wooden floor of the cottage. Her bangs fell over both of her eyes. There was a long moment of silence in the cottage. Fluttershy went forward and tried to reach out for her daughter, but pulled her hoof back at the last moment.

"Harmony, we were only worried about you. After all, though you have grown incredible quickly, you are still but a filly."

This made the daughter throw her bag to the ground. Her headphones clicked against the floor. Discord's golden eyes glowed dangerously. There seemed to be an aura about him. Harmony kept her back to the both of them, snorting softly.

"Harmony, apologize to your mother," advised Discord.

The daughter laughed and flicked her long, dark tail. Fluttershy looked on and let the situation unfold; there were tears in her eyes, sparkling like diamonds. For a moment, she held her gaze upon her daughter, the one that she had lovingly raised and tendered to all these years. Then, her head fell and her pink hair fell around her head like a shroud. Discord put his paw upon his wife's shoulder. She let out a low sob.

"Harmony…" he warned once more.

She hissed, baring her fangs.

"No! You've kept me locked up since I was a filly. I can finally leave now!"

Fluttershy wiped away her tears and put forth her chest in a display of confidence. Discord removed his hand from her as she seemed to no longer needed the support. The mother pushed aside her forelock and marched over to her daughter so that they were muzzle to muzzle. Harmony retreated slightly, but mostly maintained her ground.

"No, Harmony. We wanted you to be with other fillies more than anything. I so badly wanted you to be at school and make friends. However, once you got your powers we all agreed it would be best for you to learn to control your gifts first…"

Harmony screeched once, briefly. Then stomped her paw upon the floor. She began to hover lightly in the air. Fluttershy looked afraid. Her eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Harmony, be careful. Don't let your emotions get away from you…"

The daughter blinked harshly just once and she floated even further off the ground. She began to sing a slow melody, but in an E minor tone as opposed to the more appropriate G major. Her voice grew and grew until the highest note rose to a quavering high B flat. Her fangs grew longer and sharper; her mane spread out into the air wildly. The midnight blue eyes, usually so curious and deep, became white with power. Discord snapped his fingers, summoning the record player which was playing a soft classical tone. Harmony swiped her claws and the record player bounced to the ground, broken. The father growled lowly.

"Stop this immediately, young filly!"

Harmony wailed loudly and disappeared from the house living room with a snap. Her bag was upon the floor, forgotten.

Fluttershy ran around the area from where her filly had disappeared. She wheezed and began to panic, asking where her precious daughter had one. Discord tried to feel the area to trace the magic and where it may have gone. His eagle claw felt the rift and, though he could sense that she had ripped through space at this location, he could not feel where she could have possible gone. For now, he would have to start searching the old-fashioned way. He walked over to the door, about to leave the cottage. Fluttershy grabbed him as he was leaving. She looked distraught.

"Let me come with you," she pleaded.

Discord kissed her forehead.

"Of course, love, of course."

As the parents were flying about all of Ponyville, their daughter had appeared suddenly in the middle of the Everfree forest. A loan howl of a Timberwolf echoed in the forest from somewhere unknown. Harmony felt a chill down her spine, from the ridges of her cheetah-spotted shoulders all the way to her grey flank, now marked with her cutiemark. She sniffed the air and could smell nothing recognizable. Lamenting her poor decision, Harmony sighed. Then, from within her chest, she felt a resilient pull towards…something. With a sigh, she began to walk, her tail dragging through the mud behind her. There was a sad sound coming from deep within the cloud of midst. Almost as if a ghost of days gone by was lamenting for only the forest to hear.

Harmony continued, but as she was doing so, her paw landed directly into a puddle. She pulled a paw back and shook of the excess the water. As she took her paw away, suddenly she saw her reflection for the first time in a very long time. What she saw shocked her. In the reflection was a tall creature with long ears, like a bat, and fangs of one as well. Her eyes looked wild. Harmony shuddered; even her horns looked longer. It seemed that her accelerated growth was, in part, due to her use of magic.

The filly sat back and let her haunches fall to the ground. The voice in the forest became mute and her ears turned down. For the first time, Harmony wept. Her voice filled the lonely depths of forest. The tune was note off key and her magic did not activate. She just sung as she felt. The Everfree Forest fell silent and all the creatures came out to listen to the pitiful tune. The forlone tone of the notes made the creatures, including some Timberwolves, gather around and wait in patient silence. As the final note fell into a decrescendo and Harmony fell into a deep slumber. The animals departed and none of them touched the young filly.

As the parents were desperately searching for their Harmony, Fluttershy came to a sudden realization. She flapped in place momentarily, her eyes scanning beneath her. There was only one place they had not yet checked…With all speed, she dived into the forest, her husband right behind her.

Fluttershy landed on the soft, swampy ground of the forest. Discord was behind her, his face blank. Though he was silent, his wife knew that he was just as worried as she was.

"I think she's here," said the mother softly.

"How do you know that?" asked Discord.

Fluttershy shrugged and began to canter forwards. The husband followed, breathing heavily through his nose. If something had happened to his beloved child, there would be no forgiveness for himself…ever. With his magic, he tried to stretch out his sense of awareness, but something in the forest seemed to be impeding him. When his mind reached out to find his daughter, there was a force blocking him. He was unsure if his filly was doing this or if it was the work of some unknown force. Meanwhile, Fluttershy was scanning ever limb and each branch for some trace of her daughter. Then, all at once, there was a strange sound. The pegasus halted dead in her tracks. A whisper rustled through the wind. Then, there was a long pause. Using her instincts to guide her, Fluttershy ran full speed towards the source of the noise. As she went, branches scratched and clawed at her, but she would never let anything stand between her and her daughter. Finally, she saw Harmony.

Discord, though his wife was the first to see her, was the first to react. He appeared immediately beside her and grasped her tightly. Harmony broke down into petty tears. Fluttershy moved towards her, comforting her daughter by stroking her black mane. The filly hugged her mother as tightly as she could, her cheetah claws slightly digging into her mother's soft back, but she paid no mind. Discord, coming to his senses, teleported them magically into the cottage. Harmony, still weeping gently, went to bed without argument.

Twilight was contacted by Fluttershy the very next day. The pegasus and her friend met at the coffee shop. Fluttershy ordered a calming green tea, while the other mare preferred a latte. It was the middle of the day, so plenty of ponies went in and out of the coffee shop without heed. In a way, it was the most private space they could be afforded. It was the shy pegasus who began the conversation.

"Yesterday, Harmony left the cottage."

The purple mare sat back in her chair, levitating her latte with her magenta magic. She pondered the implications of the statement, but did not respond. Fluttershy sighed and lowered her head momentarily. It was clear she had been crying; her eyes were puffy and red. With a heaving chest, Fluttershy took a deep breath, and began the rest of the story.

"She went to Ponyville and came back rather late…Neither Discord nor I thought it was appropriate that she was out so late on her first day. Harmony…reacted rather strongly. We spent the rest of the day, and into the night, looking for her. We found her crying in the middle of the Everfree Forest, Twilight."

This did shock the unicorn and prompted her to speak almost immediately.

"What? The…the forest? Was she alright?"

Fluttershy shook her head.

"Beyond her weeping, she seemed physically unharmed…but stranger still was that Discord could not use his magic to locate Harmony in the forest."

The unicorn set down her latte and her eyes seemed as large as saucers. That seemed impossible; Discord was a powerful magical entity, as much as she hated to admit it. After all, the only thing to combat Discord's magic were the Elements of Harmony. What could possibly counteract his magic as much as the Elements? It was certain that the Everfree Forest was dangerous and mysterious, yet even so…

"I admit that I don't know how to react. This is all so unusual. Namely, that Discord's magic did not seem to work in the forest. However, I am equally concerned about Harmony. I know that it was partly upon my recommendation that you allowed her to visit Ponyville again. Even so, she did not come back distressed initially, did she?"

Fluttershy shook her head once more. Harmony had only reacted negatively once they had scolded her. So, perhaps it was not something bad that had happened in town, but something overwhelmingly positive.

"What will you do, Twilight?" asked Fluttershy, putting her hoof upon the hoof of her friend.

The mare did not answer immediately. She shook her head, then pursed her lips.

"I will continue to see what her magic can do, of course. However, I think that tomorrow I will shadow her as she visits Ponyville once more."

Fluttershy frowned.

"Isn't that spying?"

Twilight looked serious.

"We need to see how she interacts in town without our influence changing her actions. What would you have me do?"  
Fluttershy could not come up with an alternative and, so, fell silent. She sipped once, angrily, at her green tea. Her back hoof tapped furiously against the flooring of the coffee shop. How could Twilight even suggest a thing? Spying on her daughter would only inspire distrust. After all, wasn't it because they trusted her that Harmony could go into town at all? Still, they needed to know what Harmony had been upset about; namely, if what had upset her had something to do with what she had experienced in town. If that were truly the case…

"Fine. You can 'shadow' Harmony. But, don't ever expect me to agree to anything like this again."

Twilight bobbed her head once in agreement. Once would be all it would take.

The next day, early in the morning, Twilight trotted out of her home, leaving Spike to sleep in a bit later. She yawned, for the sun had just risen, and packed a small saddle bag with the essentials: mostly quills, parchment, and ink. Leaving the home, she sat in the plaza of Ponyville, waiting for a sighting of a tall pony named Harmony. She did not have to wait very long for, after only an hour, Harmony flew down into the town square. She was as always, messy black mane and tail, however today there was a silver clip in her mane, a rather pretty clip to be certain. Twilight rose from her seat at the bench in the plaza, and moved backwards into an alley, making sure that Harmony would not spot her. She did not. In fact, the pony was more focused than she normally was; that is to say, she was less observant. Instead, the bat-like pony trotted directly into the music shop, never pausing to look around her. Twilight used her magic, and appeared inside of the shop, maintaining a power invisibility spell while in the shop.

The store was dimly-light and had maintained its usual layer of dust. Harmony was in the middle of the shop, lazily flipping through records. She seemed to be focused, but her eyes were darting. Flip Side was on the opposite end of the store, listening to several records at once. The sound was…quite obnoxious. The filly paid no mind and ruffled out her fluffy chest, coughing a bit. The cough was lost in the muddle of the music. Still, it worked somewhat as Flip Side caught a flash of cheetah fur; he knew instantly who it was. He tossed his brown bangs to one side of his hair, violet eyes light up. The stallion went to Harmony's side, smiling smugly.

"Hey, filly," he said in a sickly sweet voice.

She giggled and turned. Her fangs were gleaming.

"Hello, Flip Side. What's up?"  
Twilight, slowly, made her way towards the middle of the store, still maintaining the spell, though it was draining her energy. She hid behind a stack of records, listening carefully. Poised behind the stack, she finally heard the conversation in full.

There was a girlish giggle; it must have been Harmony. Then a male laugh. Twilight peered around the stack and caught a glimpse of a brown stallion. Suddenly, the pieces fell together. It seemed that Harmony really had made a friend…or something of that nature. Still, she could not afford to leave quite so quickly.

"So, did you want to hear my latest track? I ripped off of twenty albums to make this one. It's amazing!"

"Ha ha, of course! I can't believe you are so talented!"

The two ponies went over to a record player. The male pony dropped in a record and pulled the pin down towards it. When pin hit record, Twilight heard several harmonies combine to make a jumbled and messy melody. Then, a high-pitched squeal sounded. Twilight had to leave that very minute! She teleported and left the pair quite alone.

Harmony seemed to be entranced, but not necessarily by the "music". Her dark eyes were glued to the stallion in front of her. He was very handsome, after all. She flicked her dark tail. Though it was unlikely he would ever be interested in someone quite like her, there was no reason, after all, that she could not like him. Nothing could be harmed just by liking him…

Flip Side ended the track and pulled the pin up. The female gave him the approval he was looking for, stroking his ego, and smiled once more. The stallion complimented himself, then laughed shyly. Falling silent for a brief moment, he trotted to the back of the store. Harmony waited, tapping her back hoof impatiently. Flip Side returned with a brand-new record in his hoof. He handed it to Harmony, who held it lightly in her claws.

"What's this?" she asked, breathing lightly.

He flicked his tail and stood proudly.

"It's a record I ripped. I want you to listen to it."

Harmony almost squealed. Her wings did ruffle a bit and she beamed.

"It's really mine?"

He nodded.

She put the record gently into her bag and turned to go. Flip Side did not seem to mind and waved to her as she exited the shop. Harmony walked out of the shop giddily. It was her first gift from a stallion! As she left, the sun beat down upon Ponyville; it seemed to be just after midday. Harmony sighed, deciding she should leave before her parents scolded her again. It was not fair that she had to return home so soon, especially when she was assigned to make friends by Twilight. The assignment had not been a recent one, but that was no reason to ignore it per say…

Sighing, Harmony took to the skies. As she flew, just above Ponyville, she saw several residents gasp. One said something to another about "bat ponies". The filly snorted; what did they know anyways? Then, her heart panged. Did Flip Side see her the same way? Though he had given her a gift, he had never directly addressed her…appearance. Perhaps he did not notice. Then again, perhaps he was too frightened to say anything. As she soared towards the cottage, Harmony wondered what it would be like to be close to another pony.

Upon returning home, Harmony went up to her room immediately and closed the door. Fluttershy went to the door and tried to knock, but was frightened off by screaming and wailing coming from what seemed to be the record player. She left Harmony to herself. Discord came into the living room, where his wife was sitting quietly. Fluttershy seemed pensive.

"Fluttershy, darling?" called he, reaching out to her with his paw and claw.

She fell into his arms and kissed him upon the muzzle playfully. Discord smiled, exposing his sharp teeth. The wife, long used to her husband's appearance, did not react, but kissed him again, deeply. He hugged her tightly and swept her off the couch and into his arms.

"It has been awhile you know," said Discord in a low tone.

The pegasus sighed and hummed gently.

"Mm? A while?"

Discord held her out with his arms outstretched. They locked gazes: teal eyes against golden ones. There was a spark between them, as there always had been.

"We should go out, get out of this house. Harmony can be trusted on her own. She is almost grown now."

Fluttershy seemed to melt in Discord's arms. After all, how could she possible hope to deny a request from her own husband? A smile played upon her lips and her teal eyes grew wild. She nodded. Discord snapped his fingers and a note explaining where they had went appeared on Harmony's bed in her room. Then, with a wave of his claw, the couple was gone and off to enjoy a night of romantic flirtations.

The daughter was in her room and, curiously enough, she was also involved in a romantic project. She was upon her bed, covers lying hither and thither, with a record blaring from the record player in the corner. Her ears flicked from side to side as she enjoyed the music and attempted to pick out the pieces such as the harmony and melody. Her cheetah paw was trying to scribble down note patterns and possible lyrics. She hummed in deep concentration; this was important after all. Her legs were folded neatly upon the bed, one hoof tucked under the other. Her cutie mark: the three broken music notes, was in full view. Harmony's eyes flicked down and she clicked her tongue. It felt like cheating…but then again how would using her talent be cheating? With a sigh, she pushed back the sheets of music and stood upon the bed. (The note that her father had magically sent to her fluttered to the floor along with the sheets).

Inhaling deeply, Harmony let out one deep note, which vibrated awkwardly within the confines of her room. From deep within her chest, she could feel the magic well up within her. She tried to concentrate upon Flip Side. She recalled his long brown bangs of his mane and the way his mischievous violet eyes seemed to see everything. His confidence she also remembered, and it made her blush upon recollection. From within her fluffy white chest, a song was forming. In a shriek, somehow filled with passion, Harmony sang out:

" _La la dat da,_

 _For all the music in the world,_

 _I can't give you baby,_

 _But all my feelings, swirled,_

 _In my heart and in my mind,_

 _Baby, I think that maybe,_

 _You could be mine!"_

As she sung, the sheets of music levitated off of the ground and began to spin around. Notes, the very notes and lyrics that she was singing, began to ink themselves upon the pages. She continued to repeat her song until the sheets of music began to transform into a vinyl record, which spun like a coin in the air. It shone brightly until upon the bed was a silver record with a tiny label that read: from Harmony.

Proud, and a bit tired, Harmony lay down upon her bed. Her long mane lay helter-skelter upon the pillow. She snorted a piece of hair out of her nose and took a deep breath. Using her magic was exhausting. Still, she knew that now she had something for Flip Side. Maybe it was possible that he could come to like her despite her appearance if she created something beautiful for him. With a happy note of joy, the filly closed her eyes and fell asleep, letting the record stop on its own.

Little did she know that the note her parents had written to her had also become part of the record…

Early the next morning, Fluttershy found herself in bed, wrapped up in her husband's arms. She moaned softly and stretched out her back, arching it backwards. Her fur ruffled between Discord's lion's paw as she backed away slightly. Her pink mane was in a tizzy and she lifted a hoof to smooth it. This obviously disturbed Discord's slumber as he grumbled and blinked open his eyes. Sunlight was streaming through the window behind the bed.

"What time is it?" Discord ask, his voice full of sleep.

Fluttershy hummed, but did not respond. Her teal eyes blinked and she stretched at sat up upon the bed. Discord yawned and cuddled next to her as she remained seated. Laughing, Fluttershy fluffed her mane.

"We need to get out of bed. Harmony may well be up by now."

"And? She is grown now, practically…she is perfectly fine on her own for an hour or two."

Discord tackled her into the bed and kissed her twice upon the cheeks. She playfully shoved him away, before snuggling back into his arms once more. They remained like this for a long moment, until Fluttershy heard someone calling from downstairs. Perking up, she flew out the door and down the stairs. To her delight, and surprise, it was Twilight Sparkle.

The unicorn was at the doorway, waiting for the parents to come downstairs. Her eyes looked wild and excitable and her mane was a bit frazzled, but not more than Fluttershy's. The draconequus came down as well, his golden eyes still full of sleep. He yawned and snapped his fingers, conjuring a blanket around his shoulders. Twilight began.

"Is Harmony here?"

The mother, concerned, answered simply.

"Why, of course. I'll call her. Harmony…Harmony!"

There came no reply either time. As a group, all three went up the stairs and Fluttershy knocked upon the door to her daughter's room, calling out to her one more time. And still there was no response. Discord was the one to reach forward and opened the door. To their surprise, it was empty.

"There's something I have to tell you both," said Twilight in a low voice.

Discord turned to Twilight and looked her directly in the eyes. There was a brief moment of silence before he growled.

"If this is your doing…"  
Fluttershy put a hoof to his body and prevented Discord from moving any further. Twilight teleported the three of them to the living room, where they could converse in a relatively peaceful environment. She sat down upon on of the chairs from the kitchen, magically moving it from the kitchen/dining area to the living room. The parents sat on the couch. Discord's golden eyes glowed and he looked positively dangerous. Fluttershy's hooves were twirling around one another, waiting for the big news. She, at least, had some idea of what the unicorn was going to say.

"Harmony is in love."

Discord's mouth dropped down quickly and almost comically. His wife was almost as bad; her hooves had flown up to her mouth and her eyes were as wide as saucers. This was not what she had expected at all! Twilight sighed and tapped one hoof upon the chair two times.

"I know this wasn't what either of you expected and, to be honest, I was quite shocked."

Fluttershy interjected here.

"Did you see her with someone yesterday?"

Discord lifted a bushy white eyebrow.

"What does that mean? Were you following our daughter, Twilight?" he hissed.

The purple pony nodded, in shame. Fluttershy tapped her husband's shoulder and he turned to her, almost hurt. She looked ashamed as well and could almost not look him in the eyes herself.

"You knew?"

Fluttershy nodded and her eyes grew wet with tears. Discord grit his teeth, then turned back to the tutor. He had to prioritize his daughter over his own damaged feelings. With a short burst of breath, he choked down tears as well. Then, in a commanding voice, he said:

"Who is it? How could she have met him?"

Twilight did shrug a bit at this, though she did know more than she let on. However, she relented quickly and relayed what she knew.

"It's a stallion that works at the record shop. I took her there once as a filly; he must be the new owner. It's possible she met him when we decided she was able to go back into Ponyville alone."

Discord was seething.

"I never should have let her loose!"

Fluttershy, though upset, did squeak out, through tears:

"No, no. We decided that she could have her freedom. After all, isn't that what was important?"

Discord turned his head away, pouting. His lower lip was large and it seemed as though he, too, were a filly once more. His wife placed a hoof upon his upper arm while Twilight looked on silently. Not everything in this conversation was appropriate for her to comment on.

"Discord, darling, remember when you were imprisoned? Didn't you yearn for freedom then?" came the pegaus' soft query.

The draconequus' eyes lit up as though he had come to an epiphany. He turned and looked down upon the pony sitting next to him. How dear she looked, as soft as ever! Discord nodded and exhaled.

"Yes, I did. Still, there's something worse than being imprisoned…she could be banished."

The unicorn's jaw dropped and the pegasus was once again upon the verge of tears. Her ears flipped downward and every part of her being was both shocked and displeased. Fluttershy did not wait any longer and whispered:

"What do you mean, Discord? Why would Harmony be banished?"

Instead, it was the tutor who answered the question, after making eye contact with the husband. She knew what to say.

"Fluttershy, Harmony's gifts are incredible; we've all seen what she can do. Yet, it seems that she grows more powerful each day, and her emotions play directly into her powers. Her music, like all music, is fueled by emotion. If she, for some reason, cannot stay in love…what will happen then?"  
The pegasus sat forward and her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Are you saying that Harmony is too immature to handle herself? So she's in love! Let's not forget that was what created Harmony in the first place. She's magical, so what? If she's really our daughter, born of our love, then she's not evil and not beyond control either!"

Twilight Sparkle sat very still, affronted. The draconequus did not make any sudden movements either. It was rare to see the pegasus so enraged that she would yell, yet she had done it. While Discord and Twilight both loved Harmony with all their hearts and minds, it was clear where the line in the sand had been drawn. The question remained: was Harmony in control enough to handle her own emotions and, with them, her own magic? The tutor, skilled and learned in magic, knew how difficult it could be. On the other hoof, the draconequus also had experience with out of control magic running amuck across Ponyville. However, it seemed as though the yellow pony could not and would not be reasoned with.

The unicorn got up off of her chair, silently using her magic to put it back in place in the kitchen. She shook her head slowly, letting her bangs dance around upon her forehead. In a way, she was disappointed.

"I leave it up to you, as parents. However, she should continue her lessons with me as soon as possible. I will help her master her magic for good."

With that, the unicorn left. Fluttershy, upon hearing the door close, broke down into pitiful tears. When Discord reached out to her, she rejected him; so, with a heavy heart, he left her to her wretched sadness.

Meanwhile, Harmony was in Ponyville. She had loitered around town since after dawn, but she was still waiting for the right moment. In her knapsack was the precious record with her song recording that she had lovingly made for Flip Side. Maybe, if the song was good enough, Flip Side would officially be her friend…or something more. Still, her nerves were getting the better of her. All she could do at the moment was pace around the town frantically. At this point, she had wandered down the main street so much that she could see her own hoof and paw prints in the dust of the road.

At one point, just after noon, she had her paw upon the door, ready to push it open and enter. However, her heart skipped a beat and she flew backwards away from the door, all in the same minute. Her heart desperately wanted to show Flip Side how she felt about him, but her head would simply not allow it. He could reject her, that was possible. After all, she was well-aware of how other ponies treated her. Even now, they would avoid eye contact with her, thought it seemed as though the insults were fewer since she had begun to make more frequent trips into town. Still, Flip Side had never avoided nor insulted her. That could mean that he really did like her. Her heart beat wildly. Then, with a curse, she realized that she did not have the courage today in the harsh sunlight. With a powerful beat of her bat wings, the half-breed child disappeared from town.

Upon her return, Harmony noticed immediately that something was very wrong. Her parents were sitting on the couch in the living room, dead silent. No animals were about the house chirping or scurrying about. In fact, the only noise that she could discern whatsoever was that of her gentle breath upon her lips. Her mother was sitting up and her eyes looked almost cold, which was beyond unusual for her. Her father looked stern as well, though his gaze was wandering about the room. Harmony dropped her bag and kicked it to the side of the room, unnoticed. For now, it would be better if they did not know about the song. She grinned awkwardly and her fangs were brought to the forefront of the smile. With seemingly no change taking place, she then decided to skirt around her parents and head up the stairs.

"Come here," came the stern, but soft command of her mother.

Harmony was actually going to ignore her and head up, despite the fact that she was normally not a disobedient filly. It was her father that used his magic to transport her in front of them and hold her legs in place. For a fleeting moment, the child felt afraid. Her father was normally not bidden to use magic in the house, especially around her mother. Yet, there she stood, legs rooted in place. Though she was not terrified, a nagging voice called out from within.

"Tell us what you have been doing in town," commanded the father.

Harmony gulped. Her mother, for once, was not telling her father to back down. Her face was as stony as his, though her teal eyes showed some weakness. Should she tell the truth? The better question was…did they already know?

"I…have been doing what I was supposed to do: talking with other ponies."

To be fair, it wasn't a total lie.

"With whom?" came her mother's soft command. Always quiet, yet there was a steely edge behind it.

"Um."

Discord's chest went up rapidly. It was clear he was trying to maintain his temper. Harmony swallowed and decided that there was no alternative.

"His name is Flip Side. He works at the record store I like to go to, that's all."

This time, Discord did not hold himself back. He was in the air, wings flapping furiously. Magic, for Harmony could feel the magic around him, began to surge in the room. Things levitated, including the couch, and there came a storm cloud of cotton candy that began to shower all three of them in chocolate rain.

"Harmony! How could you do this? I—"

Fluttershy put her hoof on his chest and stared her husband down. Looking in her eyes, he began to calm down and the magic levels dropped. The couch, too, fell down and everything returned to normal. The storm cloud shriveled up. Harmony shook out her mane to free it of chocolate milk.

"It's not like it's a big deal. It's what you wanted," spat Harmony defensively.

Fluttershy went to her daughter and hugged her gently, kissing her forehead as she drew away. As always, she smelled of peonies.

"We worry about you, Harmony. This is the first time you've really been out to experience the world. You can't let your emotions take control of you."

Harmony rolled her deep eyes.

"They won't! We're not even dating so just back off."

Discord snapped his fingers and Harmony turned to him.

"Watch your tone, missy. We're still your parents."

Harmony closed her eyes and let out a low, shaking tone. The magic around her, from her father, began to loosen, until she was free and flying in the air. Her eyes turned white once more and the magic told hold of her.

"I am grown now," came her screeching voice.

Fluttershy flew up and met her daughter's eyes.

"Stop it, Harmony."

The white eyes did not disappear instantly. They lingered for a moment or two until Harmony blinked them away, her midnight eyes returning to their usual hue. She shook her head, eyes full of tears, and went to her room. The door slammed and the house rumbled. Her music came on.

Fluttershy flew to her husband, embracing him. She began to weep softly. He comforted her and stroked her mane, but deep down he was also weary and weepy. They both shared the same concern about their precious daughter. Though she was a lovely pony with a great talent, it was clear she was on the brink of being out of control. Of course, there was only one other pony they could turn to.

The next morning, Twilight Sparkle was over at the cottage bright and early. So early, in fact, that she had to go into Harmony's room to wake her. The room itself was in such chaos that Twilight had to light her horn and squint in order to discern what was Harmony. She was spread out on the bed, covers awry. There were records strewn throughout the room. Fortunately, or not, the purple unicorn did not see the special record inside of Harmony's bag. If she had, perhaps she would have known instantly what it was.

Instead, Twilight used her magic to lift the pony's shades, letting light stream into the room. Harmony groaned from on her bed, mane unbrushed and in clumps around her face.

"Come on, Harmony. It's time for lessons, as always," goaded Twilight.

Harmony grumbled once more.

"Ugh, fine, I'm coming."

And, without brushing her mane or preparing herself whatsoever, as was the norm, Harmony stretched her wings and flew out of her room, tail dragging on the wooden floor. Twilight rolled her eyes and trotted out the door. They reunited in the living room, when the tutor did something a bit differently. She trotted out the door, beckoning for the filly to follow her. In the sunlight, which admittedly Harmony did not like, they walked down the beaten path towards the forest. Tutor and tutee did not speak, but enjoyed the wonderful weather. As they wandered down, Twilight seemed to be leading Harmony into the Everfree Forest.

"Where are we going?"

"There's a lake in the forest that I want you to see."

Harmony gulped, but said nothing more. She would not dare to admit that she had ventured in the forest some times before. Still, even now she began to hear the call. The sweet call coming from the middle of the forest. She resisted and stayed behind the unicorn as they trotted into the mist of the woods. The trees overshadowed the small ponies. Harmony felt the darkness closing in on her and, though she was afraid of the whispering in the woods, the darkness felt much kinder to her than the light. Her eyes adjusted instantly and her body felt more alert, more alive. The muscles on her back rippled.

Twilight looked behind her and saw that Harmony was standing a bit taller. When she stood up straight, the filly was quite tall, even taller than the tutor herself. There was a loping gait to her cheetah and pony legs; they seemed graceful. The darkness made Harmony glow. Even her black mane seemed to shine with a sort of blueish luster. The unicorn shook her head; it was all only her imagining.

The lake was towards the edge of the forest. It was small and calm, with a glassy surface that remained undisturbed. There was little light streaming in through the leaves and the midst in the forest, but yet the water glowed. Twilight winked at Harmony and…walked directly onto the lake. Her hooves stepped upon the very surface of the water, making ripples as she went. When she was in the center of the lake, her horn began to glow and several balls of water flew out and began to hover gently around her. After a moment of silence, she let the magic fall and walked back to the shore. Harmony was aghast.

"How did you do that?"  
Twilight laughed lightly and winked.

"Control."

For the rest of the time, Harmony spent her energies trying to craft a song that could maintain her body over the water without letting herself sink into it. It took all of her concentration, and quite a bit of sweat, even just to try not to fall. Her voice would rise and fall with the levels of magic until finally, there was no more, and she fell with a splash into the lake. With sigh, she shook herself dry and exited the lake, frustrated.

"It's the end of the day, Harmony. We should get going."

Harmony bit her lip and rolled onto her belly. She sighed.

"You go; I'll keep working."

Shrugging, and seeing no harm in it, Twilight left. She patted Harmony's head with a hoof, careful to avoid her horns, and trotted out of the woods. When her shadow had disappeared from the path, Harmony stood up and shook herself off. The voice was in her ears again. She shrugged it away and went out onto the lake to try the spell once more, to no avail. She tried a second time, but still could not quite achieve it. After falling into the lake three times, Harmony hissed and flew off. The voice began to sing louder and louder. This time, she followed it.

As she sped through the forest, dodging hanging branches and tufts of leaves, Harmony's ears were perked up and alert. Her bat wings were careful to avoid the pointy branches that could easily puncture her soft membrane. Still, her chest was puffed out and her legs tucked in as she sped forward. Nothing could stop the call, nor her for listening to it. The soft song turned into a complex melody the closer she got to it. Then, she came upon a special place.

Before the filly was a stone. It was oddly shaped and, in a different time, could have been a sort of statue or marking. Now it was a slab of rock with a sort of a spiral to it at the top. Though it was taller than her by far, she could tell it had been broken down and damaged. The smooth stone was not covered in vines or moss, however, which was suspicious. As Harmony approached, the song filled her ears once more. She laid a soft paw upon the stone and felt another conscious approach hers. In her mind, she defended against it, suspicious of its motives. The conscious, which felt like a few distinct ones melding together, for there were three different melodies in the same song, spoke something to her, but she could not hear it. Finally, closing her blue eyes, the filly let the strange mind speak to her.

 _Hello._

Harmony recoiled within her mind. So it could speak to her directly. Though the words were clear, they were still lisping and ebbed gently against her mind, as if they were part of a song.

 _Hello, who are you?_ asked the filly, suspiciously.

 _We, for we are one and many, are special. We are the same as you._

 _How so?_ queried the half-breed.

A song began to play out in the filly's mind. There were clashing harmonies in sevenths and thirds. G major soon turned to E minor with no break in-between. Then came a soft cadence which tinkled like a little bell.

 _We are gifted with music, as you are._

Harmony's eyes twitched from under her closed lids.

 _I can hear you. You are all gifted. Why can't I see you?_

There was a pause, then a crescendo into a high C. Harmony folded her ears down instinctively. There came, suddenly, a surge of power and it flowed through every fiber of her being. She felt it.

 _We are but shadows, ghosts! This statue is a sister to the world we currently inhabit. We can but speak through it and no more._

 _Why have you been banished?_

A hiss sounded in Harmony's mind. She noted it sounded remarkably like her own.

 _We were sent away because of our gift! When we showed the world our lovely song, we were banished for the mage Starswirl the Bearded grew fearful of us!_

 _That doesn't sound right. Why would a mage as wise as he punish you unjustly?_

 _Because the ponies fear power! They fear the song that we both hold deep in our hearts. Look to yourself, filly, for you know it to be true._

Harmony did look inside of herself just then. In her brief moment of introspection, deep in her weary heart, she found those words rang true. Her tutor, her beloved mentor, Twilight was afraid of her power. She was always trying to control it. Her parents, even, feared what her song could really do. Why should she not feel all the things she could? Why hide her feelings, and her gift, from the world? And why were all those useless ponies so afraid of her?

 _Even so, what can I possibly do about it?_

The creatures stirred and for a long moment, the pony felt nauseous. She could feel their power, even thought it was only the shadow, and it made her physically ill. They felt…strong.

 _You could open the portal with your magic. You can help us return home at last. We are so lonesome to be among our own kind again…_

Harmony perked up.

 _Own kind? Where are you?_

 _A wretched place. Not fit for pony-kind._

 _I can't open the portal. I don't know how nor do I know you…_

There was silence and for a minute, the pony was unsure of how the force would react.

 _Very well. Just remember, filly, that those other ponies will not trust you. They do not trust your power, so they fear it. For this, they will fear you. Be wary!_

With that, the power withdrew and Harmony reached back her paw. Her heart was beating wildly. Who were those creatures? What world could they possibly exist in? And what did they mean by "they will fear you"? There were simply too many queries to ponder in one moment. The pony stepped back from the statue, gazing back at her cutie mark: the three broken musical notes. This was her talent and it was her power to embrace or deny. This much she was sure of. Then, as she was leaving, she gazed back at the statue. From the right angle, it looked as though the statue had once been a pony body, upright and kicking the forelegs forward. However, it sat diagonally on a square stone base. Blinking once more, she lost the image and retreated from the forest.

The pony, though she was truly a half-breed, returned home. The sun had set and only now did she realize how much time had passed in the forest. Speaking with the creatures must have taken longer than she had thought. Even now, Harmony could not shake their song from her mind. It felt like an ancient lullaby, calling her home. With a sigh, she returned to her real home of the cottage in the woods. Her mother waved to her from outside. She was in the field behind the house, tending to the animals. Harmony came to her mother's side.

"Hello, darling. Did you have a good day with Twilight? You were out awfully late."

Harmony was not agitated by the question, but she was aware that it was a probing one, though subtly done.

"Yes. Twilight and I worked on magic control. And I stayed in the forest to practice after Twilight had gone."

Fluttershy dropped the bag of seed she had been tossing. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. She grabbed her daughter by the sides.

"You weren't in the Everfree Forest, were you?" she asked, almost screaming.

Harmony backed away. Though the Everfree was famous for how dark and unpredictable it could be, it seemed perfectly safe to her. After all, she had been in and out multiple times. Still, now did not seem like a good time to reveal that information.

"I…with Twilight, yes. We were perfectly safe. We were alone the whole time."

Fluttershy shook her head softly, trying to get ahold of herself.

"Yes, of course…well, please do not go back without my permission."

Harmony rolled her eyes again.

"Yes. Whatever."

Though she knew the woods were not dangerous, Harmony decided not to push the subject any further. Though it was not unusual to see her mother timid, frankly it was upsetting to see her so truly fearful. Was there something in the woods that she should be afraid of? Should the voices in the woods be causing her fright, or was it something entirely different? Harmony left her mother to tend to the animals and went inside. Her father, his long snake-like body stretched upon the couch, beckoned for her as well. Dutifully, she came to his side.

"Yes, daddy?" she asked sweetly, using the diminutive name.

Discord took her into his arms, though she was now much too big, and hugged her tightly. She expected him to release her, but he did not. His eyes were closed and he continued to snuggle her closely. Harmony, though she loved her father, was not expecting such an embrace.

"What is it?"

He sighed and loosened his grip, but did not let her down.

"Harmony, you really do need to be careful. There is a fate worse than death for those who trifle with magic. Please, please, promise me you will be cautious from now on."

The child squirmed and fell, landing deftly on her feet. Her back hooves clicked against the wooden floor. She blew a chunk of black hair out of her eyes.

"I will; I am."

Discord's eyes looked full of pain and he sunk into the couch once more. Harmony did not reach out to comfort him. In fact, this was the first time she had seen him look so defeated.

"Harmony…I love you so much. Please, don't forget that. No matter what happens, I love you."

The filly, unsure and frightened, ran into her room and locked the door. Her heart was once again racing. Why were her parents so scared and wary lately? What could they be hiding from her? She knew better than to ask them directly, though she could always ask Twilight anyways. Sitting in her darkened room, the half-breed pondered all that had happened. Then, sighing, she turned the record player on and drowned out the worries in the blaring music.

The next day, Harmony did not leave her room. She was sitting in the darkened room, shades drawn, with her record player still running. By noon, it was clear she was not coming out, despite her parent's and tutor's pleas. Her mind was in a tizzy, even still. She was trying to work up the courage to give the record to Flip Side, or go into Ponyville whatsoever. Yet, her heart burned and pined and even her mind now longed for a definitive answer. She was in love, there was no denying that. However, she wanted to know if he was in love with her as well. That was the question at hoof, or at paw as it were.

The sun fell down and Harmony, sighing deeply, watched it as it said. The oranges and deep purples of the sky reflected onto her face as she stared out her window. The night sky made her feel more alive, somehow, and she found herself more filled with courage than ever. Grabbing her bag, Harmony decided to fly out the window and leave, without her parent's knowledge. It was not as though they had forbidden her from leaving the house, however they had certainly not been keen on the idea of her following her heart. Which, to her, made little sense. Why should she not pursuit her true love?

Harmony, bag on her back, leapt from the windowsill and fell headfirst towards the ground. Then, at the last moment, her bat wings spread and the air below them swelled. The wind carried her up from the dewy grass towards the night sky. Owls hooted in the distance as she made her flight. Her mane and tail were swept up in the breeze. Her midnight eyes sparkled and a smile played out across her lips. Though she had always loved the daytime, and certainly had no "bat-pony" sunlight aversions, the nighttime made her feel reckless and wild. She felt the magic within her swell and so, as her wings scraped each air current, she sang. Her voice was as clear as a bell, but the odd intonations made the song all her own.

" _I know you're made of-ah-of-a-of,_

 _Love-ah-ah-ove._

 _Love-ah-ah-ove!"_

As she sung, the starts began to shift in the sky. She shaped them to look like Flip Side's cutie mark of a record. When She had finished, her toothy grin flashed the night. One final note sent the moon into a tizzy and it flashed red for a brief moment. With a full heart, and a blank mind, she flew down into Ponyville with a nosedive, her bag flapping against her sides. She landed on the ground, digging her hooves and paws into the soft dirt road. The fountain burbled from the plaza, but otherwise the night was silent.

There was a dull light coming from inside of the shop, as if it were from a candle. Harmony opened the door to the shop, hearing the bell tinkle as it opened. The filly, her long legs bringing her into the store, stood awkwardly near the front of the shop. She smoothed out her mane with the claws on her front paw. Then, nervously, she coughed.

There was a small commotion in the back of the shop and the filly heard records being shuffled around. Flip Side, his handsome face striking in the low light of the shop, stepped out from behind the record stacks. The violet eyes met midnight ones.

"Harmony? Why are you out here so late?"

She shrugged and hid her face behind her fluffy bangs.

"I haven't seen you around lately," he continued, walking towards her.

Harmony mumbled in response.

Flip Side saw her reach into the backpack and pull out a record. It seemed homemade as the label was paper-based and colored with paints. He took it from her awaiting paw and went to his personal record player at the back of the store. The record began as soon as the pin fell to the vinyl. The stallion waited, patiently, for the record to begin as the song crackled to life. Harmony felt excited for him to hear it, though it was not as she remembered it. In fact, instead of her rock-style screamo balled, the song began with a quartet of violins playing a slow ballad. Then, the music swelled and changed abruptly to a slashing guitar riff. Harmony's ears perked; what was wrong with her song?

The notes clashed and bashed until falling all but silent. Then, a lone flute played a quavering vibrato tone. Soft lyrics, which Harmony did recognize as her own, began to sing out:

" _La la dat da,_

 _For all the music in the world,_

 _I can't give you baby,_

 _But all my feelings, swirled,_

 _In my heart and in my mind,_

 _Baby, I think that maybe,_

 _You could be mine!"_

However, as soon as the chorus finished, the song changed once again to a piano sonata coupled with a freeform saxophone jazz solo. Harmony's heart raced with the beat and she watched in horror as the song continued to crescendo. This was not what she had intended at all! Yet, from within her, the tune felt innately familiar, and she found she could not hate it whatsoever. As the song finally ended, Flip Side pulled the pin and stood quietly for a moment.

"That was interesting," he said forthright.

The pony bowed her head nervously. What did that mean? She was beginning to perspire, even beneath her grey fur. Finally, she gazed upwards and saw the violet eyes analyzing her.

"It was certainly well done. Thank you for sharing this with me, Harmony."

This lifted her spirits. Her tail flicked one and her wings shuffled almost excitedly. With a deep breath, she moved towards Flip Side, ready to confess her true feelings. The stallion stood where he was, unsure of what was really going on.

"Flip Side, thanks so much. It means so much to me that you liked my song. It was…for you."

He stood perfectly still, then flipped his bangs out of his eyes.

"Wow, thank you so much. I'm very flattered," he admitted neutrally.

Harmony hunched her shoulders, dejected.

"I…I made it to tell you that…I love you."

The stallion's eyes grew wide and almost doubled in size. It was evident that he had no idea that this was coming. In fact, it seemed as though he had expected nothing at all, or had not been prepared for it. He could do nothing but stand in shock as Harmony waited expectantly for a proper answer.

"Flip Side?" asked she again, in a broken voice.

"I'm sorry, Harmony. I already…well it's just that I have a special somepony."

This news did not register with the filly whatsoever. What did he just say? He had certainly not said that she was going to be his very special somepony. After all, she had worked so hard. Could it be that he did not want her? How could that be true? Was he the same as everypony else, judgmental and cruel? If he did not love her then…then…

"NO!" screeched the half-breed, eyes swimming with hot tears.

Flip Side, who seemed genuinely shocked and upset, tried to comfort her. He reached out for her, in order to calm her down, but she rejected him with a quick shake of her head. There were tears streaming down her grey face and her teeth were clenched. The fangs seemed longer and sharper than ever before. The stallion tried to say something, anything, but Harmony had closed him off. She dashed outside, with Flip Side hot on her trail.

"Harmony, please, I—" he began.

There came a shriek so shrill and high-pitched that the windows of the shop shattered. Harmony, standing on the dirt road in the center of Ponyville, was wailing pitifully. Flip Side realized, then, that he could truly do nothing more. He was standing in shock as Harmony was raised off the ground. Her eyes turned bright white as she rose, her back hooves dangling in the air. Soon, all of Ponyville was observing as Harmony's song grew stronger and louder. There was a doleful tune, out of key, wailing for all of the town to hill. Twilight from her home, heard the tune and instantly realized who it was. She teleported immediately to Fluttershy's cottage, leaving Spike to wonder what was going on.

"Come quickly and bring your element," was all she said in the cottage.

Fluttershy did so, though she was worried and confused. Discord, who was alongside, teleported them all back to Ponyville. It did not take them long to realize why they were there. For, in the center of the sky, shining like a star, was their beloved daughter. Discord tried to snap his fingers and use his magic in order to get Harmony back on the ground. It did nothing. His face grew long and his eyes wide. Why would his magic not work against her? He tried to control the magic around her, but it was no good. He stood dumbly on the ground. The pegasus beside him looked distraught. Already, she was in tears.

The song grew even louder until most of Ponyville was shut in their houses with earmuffs on. However, a few brave souls exited their places of residence and joined Twilight. The Mane Six gathered near the unicorn: Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight and, of course, Fluttershy. Each of them wore a glimmering jewel upon their necks: the Elements of Harmony. Seeing these gems made the mother even more upset and she began to panic, breathing in and out quickly over and over.

"What are we going to do?" shouted Pinkie Pie over all the noise.

Rarity was holding her mane down with one hoof, for the wind spiraling around the town seemed downright hostile. The ponies gathered around Twilight. Her eyes were focused upon the sky where there was a pony shining like a star, and destroying the town with her musical storm.

"We'll try and talk to her first. But we can't let this go on forever—her magic is expanding even as we speak!" yelled Twilight.

Fluttershy screamed.

"NO! We will do nothing but talk to her. We can't hurt her! I can't hurt her!"

Applejack turned to the pegasus and comforted her gently. Still, the honest pony knew that the situation appeared dire. The town was in near shambles and the house next to them had just transformed to have legs. She gazed over at Discord, who was frantically trying to change anything using his magic, but nothing appeared to be working.

Then, though it had always been obvious, Twilight spotted a stallion standing in the street. It was the same one she had seen with Harmony. She galloped towards him.

"Who are you?" yelled the unicorn.

The stallion backed up a moment, but responded just the same:

"Flip Side! I own this record shop! Harmony came in and then went crazy!"  
Twilight's eyes bulged. He had been involved after all.

"What did you say to her?!"

"I told her had already had a special somepony. I tried to calm her down but she wouldn't listen!"

Then, suddenly, the star became even brighter in the sky. There was a low, almost baritone note, and a sound wave spread from the star and through the town. Twilight and company flew backwards several feet. The sky changed into a pitch-black color and the cutie mark of Harmony, the three broken notes, blazed in the sky. From the heavens came a hauntingly powerful voice.

" _No! You betrayed me! You betrayed my love! And now I will turn all of Equestria into a wasteland! There will be no more love in Equestria!"_

Discord took action first. He flew up, as close as he could get, for the gale-force winds wished to prevent him from coming any closer, and tried to speak to his daughter. His voice was barely heard above the storm of song, but it was clear enough.

"Harmony! Stop this! You can't destroy Equestria. Please, please, believe me. Please stop!"

The daughter seemed to cease for a moment. There was a pause in the song and the lips of the half-breed parted. Her fangs were long and sharp. But the next note of the song passed from her lips and, from there, it was all over. The song crescendo and the father was thrown to the ground. He was out cold. Fluttershy ran to him, weeping. She shook him gently, begging him to awaken, but he would not. Twilight ran to her friend and gave her a solemn look.

"This can't go on," she stated simply.

Yet the mother tried one last time.

"Please, my darling Harmony, please stop!"

There was a flash of white light. The ponies covered their eyes briefly with their hooves, but when they removed them, they saw a sight unlike any other. There was no more Harmony, at least not the one they had come to know. In her place was a monster. The bat wings spread and covered the sky, blocking out the traces of light from the blazing cutiemark in the sky. The mane and tail whipped around in the wind and the body was longer and thinner than ever. She looked mature, grown.

"We have to use the elements!" called Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy shook her head, weeping pitifully.

Then, a tornado formed around Harmony as she began to sing again. The sky shattered into pieces and what was once black gave way to a million colors. Bits of the roof began to fly in towards the sky. It was a black hole with Harmony at the center. Fluttershy could delay no longer. With a deep sigh, that she would later recall, the mother did the most difficult thing any parent could do. She stood in formation, behind Twilight, and the rest followed suit.

A swirl of rainbows enveloped the Mane Six and the ponies rose slowly off the ground. The ponies let their magic surround them, their individual characteristics coming to shine. The Gem of Generosity shot diamonds into the night while the Element of Loyalty show thunderbolts. Fluttershy, her butterflies flying out around her, was the only one with her eyes open. Though she was "willingly" using her element, her heart was in shreds. Twilight's magical crown sent out the final blow. The rainbow that had been building up around them went flying towards the "grown" Harmony. The white eyes, too late, grew wide with realization. There was a fatal cry as the rainbow came in contact with herself and her magic; there was no way to save herself.

The ponies in Ponyville watched in horrified amazement as Harmony screeched and her body went, racing, with the rainbow until it flew like an arrow and landed into the Everfree Forest, into the portal. The work was over.

Fluttershy ran once more to her husband, who was just coming-to. He mumbled something indiscernible as she cried. He put his paw delicately to her face and soft words could be heard upon his breath.

"Where is she?"

The mother howled in pain, as if she was the one who had been banished. Her happiness had fled.

"She's gone…Harmony is gone…"

Though the world around them had reverted back to her normal state, the parents felt as if their entire world had shifted completely. Discord held Fluttershy in his arms while the other ponies watched from afar. No one said a word.

And from deep within the forest, the portal shimmered, then went cold. Harmony truly was gone….

Part Two: Harmony's love, Harmony's life

Since discovering her talent, Harmony's parents were a bit more preoccupied with keeping her powers under control than helping her to make friends, which suited the filly just fine. Twilight switched gears quickly, working with Discord directly to problem-solve Harmony's new gifts. It seemed that she was a powerful creature, and her magic was ever more dangerous when the girl grew upset or too sad; she became practically volatile when she was angered. However, unbeknownst to the father and the tutor, Harmony rather liked her new powers; they suited her just fine. After all, now she could do just about anything she wanted to. Magic was fun that way. Still, her authority figures were practically breathing down her neck to control her powers, so she was forced to learn their little "calming techniques" and whatnot.

"Focus, Harmony! I need to be able to see that you can do this without the use of calming classical music in the background," Twilight stated, if a bit tartly.

The filly, now growing quicker than ever, was standing in the middle of the living room. She was still rather lean, but height-wise she stood a bit taller than her mother, who was watching worriedly from a chair in the corner of the room. Discord, the father, was standing by his bride, biting his "nails" off of his eagle claw. Harmony flipped her mane, which draped over her left eye, and frowned deeply. Her midnight blue eyes seemed almost stormy, though the light of day streaming through the windows should have made them shine brightly.

"I am. You know I am. Just let me concentrate, Twilight."

Harmony bit her lower lip, fangs ever-present and growing longer and sharper by the day. Any longer and she would start to resemble a bat-pony. A bead of sweat, born out of deep concentration, languidly dripped down her muzzle. Her mouth opened and her lips smacked once, then twice. She inhaled to fill her lungs to their capacity and let out one shrill note. As she sung, the bowl of fruit in the middle of the room began to float up. As the fruit hovered, they all began to change form into delicate little white flowers. Harmony let out one final screech and the flowers fell gently to the wooden floor. The spell had been successfully completed.

The filly, now truly no longer a filly, wiped the forehead from her head with a cheetah paw. She smiled largely and sniffed at Twilight. The tutor rolled her eyes, long used to her tutee's sarcastic nature, and returned the grin.

"You did well, very well. I'm so pleased," Twilight complimented her student warmly.

Discord flew out from behind his wife and hugged his daughter from behind. She hissed playfully, then gave in to her doting father. Fluttershy got down from her chair, smiling on the outside, but inside still stricken with worry. She went to her friend and pulled her to the side.

"I know how hard you've been working with Harmony, and I appreciate everything you do…"

Twilight nodded as a cue for her friend to continue.

"However, I am still apprehensions that her powers may be too unpredictable to use regularly. Tell me, Twilight, can she be trusted with such great responsibility? I will trust whatever you say…"

The purple unicorn exhaled through her nostrils and shuffled in place for a moment. In truth, it was difficult to discern whether or not Harmony could be trusted. To be completely honest, it was all within the filly's control. When the girl was pleased, she seemed to be in control and fully functioning; however, the opposite was when the filly was wailing with pain and out of control. Considering her answer carefully, the unicorn began to speak, yet even still she was unsure of her words.

"Fluttershy, you know that Harmony is very important to me. These past few years with her have been very special to me in my life. I think that she is talented and intelligent. Yet her emotions are too volatile to be trusted completely. For now, it may be best to acknowledge that she has a certain amount of control and let her wander into town as she pleases. Beyond this, I withhold any opinion."

Fluttershy let her head fall a little bit. She wanted more than anything for her darling child to be free and happily living with others, yet the fact remained that she had magic, uncontrolled magic. The mother smoothed back her pink hair, thanked her friend one last time, and went to talk to her daughter. The unicorn waved good-bye to the family and quietly took her leave, as she did most days. After the purple pony had gone, the family rearranged the furniture back to their normal positions, and sat together on the couch. Fluttershy held her daughter's paw in her hoof, stroking it gently.

"Harmony, you know how proud I am of you, don't you?" asked the mother, gently.

The child nodded slowly. She kissed Fluttershy upon the forehead gently, although the fangs did scrape her head a bit as the kiss pulled back. Harmony's deep eyes focused on her mother for a moment. The years had not aged her physically, but the daughter could tell that inside she seemed much more aged and tired. The teal eyes seemed weary.

"Mom, I love you. Please don't worry so much. I promised when I got my cutiemark that I wouldn't leave the cottage grounds and I haven't. So please don't concern yourself so."

Discord stroked the top of his daughter's head, careful to avoid her horns. He gazed into her eyes as he so often did when she was a child and smiled deeply.

"I think you can go out. At least try, one last time, to go out into Ponyville."

Fluttershy smiled. She had Discord were always on the same page, at least when it came to their child. She patted her child's paw and pushed her off the couch gently.

Harmony flapped her bat wings happily and came down upon the wooden floor gently. She turned back to her parents and smiled broadly. Squealing excitedly, she zipped up to her room and grabbed her bag, grabbing her headphones and shoving them into their bag as she did so. It seemed strangely reminiscent of her first day of school…

The parents waved her good-bye as she left the house. Harmony flew into the blue sky of the afternoon, proudly displaying her black wings as she went. The sunlight streamed through the wings, making them appear a mottled-purple-grey color. Her bag was at her side, headphones within the bag. Though she was afraid, Harmony could not help but feel exhilarated. After all, this was her first time out of the house in a very long time…

Somewhere within her was a voice calling her to reason, but she did not wish to listen. After all, her freedom was at stake. She could be free for a day, for a lifetime. Those ponies would have certainly gotten past her looks at this point. Certainly, without doubt. Below her, Harmony saw the edge of the Everfree Forest, the very thing that frightened her mother to the core. It seemed dreary and dark, but not enough to be upsetting. Instead, she gazed towards Ponyville, the town of her discontent. But, ever pleasant and naïve, Harmony landed lightly upon the dirt path of Ponyville. The sun shone down fervently.

The tall filly trotted gaily down the path. She felt the soft dirt underneath her nails in her front paws. It was a good sensation. She smiled at those ponies who were walking down the street beside her. Nopony said a word to her. Undaunted, Harmony continued onward until she saw the shop she had been looking for: the record store. With a deep breath, she pushed open the door and made her way inside the shop.

It was exactly as she recalled it. The store, despite the large windows in the front, was extremely dark and had a damp feeling to it. There was a lighted candle somewhere towards the back of the room for the girl could smell it burning. It was a lavender scent. However pleasant the candle was, she much preferred the vintage smell of the records. With a squeal, she flapped up to see the stacks at the very top. As she was flipping through the records with one claw primed, a noise sounded from behind her. It was a cough. Harmony started and flipped around, still in the air, to find an earth pony below her. It was a male pony, apparently, for his head was a bit more boxy-shaped. The female fluttered down, almost as her mother would, and set herself firmly upon the ground in order to greet him.

He grinned broadly and coughed once, weakly, before speaking.

"Welcome to Dark Fire Records. My name is Flip Side."

For no reason whatsoever, seemingly, the other blushed and her mottled grey fur seemed to feel hot. She adjusted the strap of her bag with one of her paws and shuffled her back hooves slightly. In a soft voice, she responded:

"Hey, yeah my name's Harmony."

In an effort to impress the earth pony, the girl flipped her long back mane. Heavy as it was, as she flipped it, her other eye was revealed for a moment. The girl was giddy with excitement for this was her first normal interaction with another pony. It seemed so easy now! However, she did not wish to appear anything other than laid-back, so she refrained from speaking her mind or saying anything further. Instead, she lowered her eyes and studied the brown pony before her.

He was certainly handsome, by most ponies' standards. His coat was of a medium brown color, but healthy looking. His tail and mane were short, yet there was a long chunk of hair, like bangs, hanging down in the middle of his forehead. His cutiemark was, of course, a record with a small purple musical note upon it. It was his eyes that were the most mesmerizing, at least to Harmony. They were an intense violet and seemed to glow in the low lighting of the shop. For some reason, she felt as though there was nothing more important than this moment, right here and now. However, there was no logical reason to believe so.

Flip Side smirked and asked, smartly:

"So, here we have all of our classical composers, in order by date released or date of supposed release. Hundreds of years do tend to muddy the waters on some of the more precise dates. Do you like classical music? I myself took classical training on the piano, however I do find that some of the older compositions didn't quite challenge me. After all, once one can move past a few arpeggiotunas and some wild presto movements, the rest is filly's play. Don't you agree?"

Harmony appeared taken-aback for a moment. Her eyes grew round, as if she were a little deer caught in the lamplight. Then her lucidity returned to her and she blinked twice. Flicking her tail confidently, she responded:

"Well, I started with the classics and I find that they still hold water. After all, these pieces became the backbone for the blues and later for rock and roll. The complicated notes and the constant change of time signatures in some of the pieces make for a very interesting pallet. I have not had any sort of musical training; however, I can tell you how…influential…classical music is upon my life."

It was the male's turn to be surprised. He took a small step backwards. With a nervous laugh, he rubbed his mane, flipping it so that both of his sharp eyes were clearly visible. Thinking quickly, he decided to change the subject, or rather, change tactics.

"I can see you are well-versed in musical topics. Tell me, Harmony, why have I not seen you in the store before?"

This question seemed to bring about a change in the other pony. Harmony turned slightly to the side so that she no longer was muzzle to muzzle with Flip Side. Her bat wing was visible as she turned. Not for the first time since she had entered the shop, Flip Side was shocked. The girl, her fangs hanging out of her mouth, sighed lightly. After a moment, she smiled and spoke in an airy voice.

"Oh, I came here as a child, however I didn't return for some time."

Flip Side nodded understandingly.

"Yeah, I wasn't in charge of the shop until just this year. When I finally got my cutiemark a young filly I always told myself I would buy and run a record store. So, when I saved up enough bits I bought this old place. The pony before me, I forget his name, moved out when I moved in."

Harmony let the conversation take a natural pause. She realized, for the first time, that this pony had not brought up the way she appeared, as she previously had expected. It felt wonderful, to just be a part of normalcy for a change. In a way, it was what started a light note in her day. However, she felt it only best to answer the question that was sure to be burning in his mind, though he had been so nice to refrain from questioning her thus far.

"I'm not a monster, by the way. I'm half draconequus. That's why I look the way I do," said the female, candidly.

Flip Side took a nervous step backward and chuckled in a low voice. His face seemed flushed. The girl could not help but laugh a little; he had tried his utmost to keep his emotions in check. She shifted the bag on her shoulder and smiled politely.

"I promise I don't bite!" she giggled.

This made him perk up and he trotted to the side, looking for something evidently as his eyes were trained away from her. Harmony followed him, her sleek form rippling as she sashayed over to his side. Flip Side was distinctly aware of her soft breath upon his shoulder. He was relieved that it did not smell of blood. Though she had not said she was a bat pony, the wings and fangs seemed to indicate otherwise. He thought it best to put it out of his mind.

"This!" exclaimed the male, holding one record aloft in his hoof.

It was an old record and, judging by the battered paper cover, was in need of some love and repair. The dust flew away as the record was held up and it revealed a dingy yellow cover with a single letter upon it: R. Flip Side seemed pleased with himself and smirked before placing the record safely in Harmony's paw. She blew away the dust gently and looked at the record closer. There were no details as to what type of music was on the record, purely judging by the cover. There was truly only one way to find out: to play it, of course! Harmony spotted a record player at the front of the store. She flew to it and placed the record into the player. With a click, the record settled into the player. The girl seated herself near the speaker and put the pin onto the record. There was a burst of static, then the music started to play.

Oh, how to describe it? The music began with a bang of saxophones playing in a G major. The music was boisterous and seemed to bounce in and out of rhythm. Then, suddenly, it fell into a lovely cadence with sweeping violins and cellos. Harmony sighed in deeply and perked up her ears, which seemed slightly larger than her male counterpart's. He was behind her, also listening intently. The song ended with several guitar riffs piled upon one another until a single note was drawn out for several bars. The record skipped then the static began once more, signaling the end of the record. Harmony pulled the pin off and her ears flicked backward. Flip Side turned his head so that his hair parted to reveal his second eye. A grin was plastered upon his face.

"Did you love it or what?"

She nodded enthusiastically and stood up, flicking her tail as she did so.

"Yes! It was the most unique thing I have ever heard…who made this?"

Flip Side, with his intense violet eyes shining, responded proudly:

"I did, years ago. I ripped several songs and multiple riffs and notes from other records to make this one. It was a labor of love, but I did it. That was how I knew I loved music, especially records."

The girl's midnight eyes lit up in ecstasy.

"Wow! That's an amazing story. I love music too; my tutor was the one who introduced me to all kinds of different music."

The earth pony nodded politely. Harmony gazed outside, distractedly. She muttered something under her breath, then moved slowly towards the door.

"It's…late. I have to go," said she, though the sun was just barely beginning to set.

Flip Side chuckled jovially.

"Why? Do you turn into a vampire after dark?" asked he, winking.

She shook her head shyly, letting her mussy locks flood her face and spill into her eyes. With a paw, she waved goodbye before departing. The door shut silently behind her. The earth pony did not react initially, but shrugged to himself a moment later. He hummed something under his breath and began to reorganize the records once more.

The princess of chaos sped through the town, barely noticed. She beat her wings powerfully once, then twice, before taking off with a cloud of dust behind her. As she flew, her hair waved behind her, revealing how long her horns had become recently. The satchel, with the headphones still inside, beat violently against her side as she sped on towards the cottage. As she went, her heart beat furiously. Her first interaction with a normal pony outside of her family! It had gone much better than she ever could have believed. Perhaps she could be a part of pony kind after all…

Then, as she was flying, Harmony suddenly spotted the trees at the edge of the Everfree Forest. A mist had settled on the bottom of the forest, shrouding any sort of path that the animals had carved. There seemed to be a strange presence radiating from the forest, but what it could be Harmony had no idea. For now, she flew by, heading back towards her home as she had initially intended.

As the daughter returned home, there was a commotion in the house. Fluttershy, the doting mother she was, was racing around the house, prancing in place as she worried. Discord, equally as bad as his wife, was popping in and out of the house randomly. They both were looking for their precious daughter. When the door shut behind Harmony, her parents ran to her, tackling her to the floor. She landed with a thud, groaning softly.

"What's the matter?"

Fluttershy's teal eyes were filled with tiny tears. She hugged her daughter tightly.

"Oh, darling! You were gone so long. What happened? Are you alright?"

Harmony sighed and pushed her mother away, unintentionally hurting Fluttershy's feelings in the process. The yellow pegasus stood as well, looking a bit dejected. Her wings were folded tightly to her sides. Discord scooped up his daughter and cradled her lovingly. He, too, seemed concerned. The daughter squirmed in his arms, beating her bat wings as she did so.

"Dad, I'm not a little filly anymore! I'm growing bigger every day."

She broke free of her father's grip and landed gently upon the floor. Her back hooves clicked as she landed upon the wooden floor of the cottage. Her bangs fell over both of her eyes. There was a long moment of silence in the cottage. Fluttershy went forward and tried to reach out for her daughter, but pulled her hoof back at the last moment.

"Harmony, we were only worried about you. After all, though you have grown incredible quickly, you are still but a filly."

This made the daughter throw her bag to the ground. Her headphones clicked against the floor. Discord's golden eyes glowed dangerously. There seemed to be an aura about him. Harmony kept her back to the both of them, snorting softly.

"Harmony, apologize to your mother," advised Discord.

The daughter laughed and flicked her long, dark tail. Fluttershy looked on and let the situation unfold; there were tears in her eyes, sparkling like diamonds. For a moment, she held her gaze upon her daughter, the one that she had lovingly raised and tendered to all these years. Then, her head fell and her pink hair fell around her head like a shroud. Discord put his paw upon his wife's shoulder. She let out a low sob.

"Harmony…" he warned once more.

She hissed, baring her fangs.

"No! You've kept me locked up since I was a filly. I can finally leave now!"

Fluttershy wiped away her tears and put forth her chest in a display of confidence. Discord removed his hand from her as she seemed to no longer needed the support. The mother pushed aside her forelock and marched over to her daughter so that they were muzzle to muzzle. Harmony retreated slightly, but mostly maintained her ground.

"No, Harmony. We wanted you to be with other fillies more than anything. I so badly wanted you to be at school and make friends. However, once you got your powers we all agreed it would be best for you to learn to control your gifts first…"

Harmony screeched once, briefly. Then stomped her paw upon the floor. She began to hover lightly in the air. Fluttershy looked afraid. Her eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Harmony, be careful. Don't let your emotions get away from you…"

The daughter blinked harshly just once and she floated even further off the ground. She began to sing a slow melody, but in an E minor tone as opposed to the more appropriate G major. Her voice grew and grew until the highest note rose to a quavering high B flat. Her fangs grew longer and sharper; her mane spread out into the air wildly. The midnight blue eyes, usually so curious and deep, became white with power. Discord snapped his fingers, summoning the record player which was playing a soft classical tone. Harmony swiped her claws and the record player bounced to the ground, broken. The father growled lowly.

"Stop this immediately, young filly!"

Harmony wailed loudly and disappeared from the house living room with a snap. Her bag was upon the floor, forgotten.

Fluttershy ran around the area from where her filly had disappeared. She wheezed and began to panic, asking where her precious daughter had one. Discord tried to feel the area to trace the magic and where it may have gone. His eagle claw felt the rift and, though he could sense that she had ripped through space at this location, he could not feel where she could have possible gone. For now, he would have to start searching the old-fashioned way. He walked over to the door, about to leave the cottage. Fluttershy grabbed him as he was leaving. She looked distraught.

"Let me come with you," she pleaded.

Discord kissed her forehead.

"Of course, love, of course."

As the parents were flying about all of Ponyville, their daughter had appeared suddenly in the middle of the Everfree forest. A loan howl of a Timberwolf echoed in the forest from somewhere unknown. Harmony felt a chill down her spine, from the ridges of her cheetah-spotted shoulders all the way to her grey flank, now marked with her cutiemark. She sniffed the air and could smell nothing recognizable. Lamenting her poor decision, Harmony sighed. Then, from within her chest, she felt a resilient pull towards…something. With a sigh, she began to walk, her tail dragging through the mud behind her. There was a sad sound coming from deep within the cloud of midst. Almost as if a ghost of days gone by was lamenting for only the forest to hear.

Harmony continued, but as she was doing so, her paw landed directly into a puddle. She pulled a paw back and shook of the excess the water. As she took her paw away, suddenly she saw her reflection for the first time in a very long time. What she saw shocked her. In the reflection was a tall creature with long ears, like a bat, and fangs of one as well. Her eyes looked wild. Harmony shuddered; even her horns looked longer. It seemed that her accelerated growth was, in part, due to her use of magic.

The filly sat back and let her haunches fall to the ground. The voice in the forest became mute and her ears turned down. For the first time, Harmony wept. Her voice filled the lonely depths of forest. The tune was note off key and her magic did not activate. She just sung as she felt. The Everfree Forest fell silent and all the creatures came out to listen to the pitiful tune. The forlone tone of the notes made the creatures, including some Timberwolves, gather around and wait in patient silence. As the final note fell into a decrescendo and Harmony fell into a deep slumber. The animals departed and none of them touched the young filly.

As the parents were desperately searching for their Harmony, Fluttershy came to a sudden realization. She flapped in place momentarily, her eyes scanning beneath her. There was only one place they had not yet checked…With all speed, she dived into the forest, her husband right behind her.

Fluttershy landed on the soft, swampy ground of the forest. Discord was behind her, his face blank. Though he was silent, his wife knew that he was just as worried as she was.

"I think she's here," said the mother softly.

"How do you know that?" asked Discord.

Fluttershy shrugged and began to canter forwards. The husband followed, breathing heavily through his nose. If something had happened to his beloved child, there would be no forgiveness for himself…ever. With his magic, he tried to stretch out his sense of awareness, but something in the forest seemed to be impeding him. When his mind reached out to find his daughter, there was a force blocking him. He was unsure if his filly was doing this or if it was the work of some unknown force. Meanwhile, Fluttershy was scanning ever limb and each branch for some trace of her daughter. Then, all at once, there was a strange sound. The pegasus halted dead in her tracks. A whisper rustled through the wind. Then, there was a long pause. Using her instincts to guide her, Fluttershy ran full speed towards the source of the noise. As she went, branches scratched and clawed at her, but she would never let anything stand between her and her daughter. Finally, she saw Harmony.

Discord, though his wife was the first to see her, was the first to react. He appeared immediately beside her and grasped her tightly. Harmony broke down into petty tears. Fluttershy moved towards her, comforting her daughter by stroking her black mane. The filly hugged her mother as tightly as she could, her cheetah claws slightly digging into her mother's soft back, but she paid no mind. Discord, coming to his senses, teleported them magically into the cottage. Harmony, still weeping gently, went to bed without argument.

Twilight was contacted by Fluttershy the very next day. The pegasus and her friend met at the coffee shop. Fluttershy ordered a calming green tea, while the other mare preferred a latte. It was the middle of the day, so plenty of ponies went in and out of the coffee shop without heed. In a way, it was the most private space they could be afforded. It was the shy pegasus who began the conversation.

"Yesterday, Harmony left the cottage."

The purple mare sat back in her chair, levitating her latte with her magenta magic. She pondered the implications of the statement, but did not respond. Fluttershy sighed and lowered her head momentarily. It was clear she had been crying; her eyes were puffy and red. With a heaving chest, Fluttershy took a deep breath, and began the rest of the story.

"She went to Ponyville and came back rather late…Neither Discord nor I thought it was appropriate that she was out so late on her first day. Harmony…reacted rather strongly. We spent the rest of the day, and into the night, looking for her. We found her crying in the middle of the Everfree Forest, Twilight."

This did shock the unicorn and prompted her to speak almost immediately.

"What? The…the forest? Was she alright?"

Fluttershy shook her head.

"Beyond her weeping, she seemed physically unharmed…but stranger still was that Discord could not use his magic to locate Harmony in the forest."

The unicorn set down her latte and her eyes seemed as large as saucers. That seemed impossible; Discord was a powerful magical entity, as much as she hated to admit it. After all, the only thing to combat Discord's magic were the Elements of Harmony. What could possibly counteract his magic as much as the Elements? It was certain that the Everfree Forest was dangerous and mysterious, yet even so…

"I admit that I don't know how to react. This is all so unusual. Namely, that Discord's magic did not seem to work in the forest. However, I am equally concerned about Harmony. I know that it was partly upon my recommendation that you allowed her to visit Ponyville again. Even so, she did not come back distressed initially, did she?"

Fluttershy shook her head once more. Harmony had only reacted negatively once they had scolded her. So, perhaps it was not something bad that had happened in town, but something overwhelmingly positive.

"What will you do, Twilight?" asked Fluttershy, putting her hoof upon the hoof of her friend.

The mare did not answer immediately. She shook her head, then pursed her lips.

"I will continue to see what her magic can do, of course. However, I think that tomorrow I will shadow her as she visits Ponyville once more."

Fluttershy frowned.

"Isn't that spying?"

Twilight looked serious.

"We need to see how she interacts in town without our influence changing her actions. What would you have me do?"  
Fluttershy could not come up with an alternative and, so, fell silent. She sipped once, angrily, at her green tea. Her back hoof tapped furiously against the flooring of the coffee shop. How could Twilight even suggest a thing? Spying on her daughter would only inspire distrust. After all, wasn't it because they trusted her that Harmony could go into town at all? Still, they needed to know what Harmony had been upset about; namely, if what had upset her had something to do with what she had experienced in town. If that were truly the case…

"Fine. You can 'shadow' Harmony. But, don't ever expect me to agree to anything like this again."

Twilight bobbed her head once in agreement. Once would be all it would take.

The next day, early in the morning, Twilight trotted out of her home, leaving Spike to sleep in a bit later. She yawned, for the sun had just risen, and packed a small saddle bag with the essentials: mostly quills, parchment, and ink. Leaving the home, she sat in the plaza of Ponyville, waiting for a sighting of a tall pony named Harmony. She did not have to wait very long for, after only an hour, Harmony flew down into the town square. She was as always, messy black mane and tail, however today there was a silver clip in her mane, a rather pretty clip to be certain. Twilight rose from her seat at the bench in the plaza, and moved backwards into an alley, making sure that Harmony would not spot her. She did not. In fact, the pony was more focused than she normally was; that is to say, she was less observant. Instead, the bat-like pony trotted directly into the music shop, never pausing to look around her. Twilight used her magic, and appeared inside of the shop, maintaining a power invisibility spell while in the shop.

The store was dimly-light and had maintained its usual layer of dust. Harmony was in the middle of the shop, lazily flipping through records. She seemed to be focused, but her eyes were darting. Flip Side was on the opposite end of the store, listening to several records at once. The sound was…quite obnoxious. The filly paid no mind and ruffled out her fluffy chest, coughing a bit. The cough was lost in the muddle of the music. Still, it worked somewhat as Flip Side caught a flash of cheetah fur; he knew instantly who it was. He tossed his brown bangs to one side of his hair, violet eyes light up. The stallion went to Harmony's side, smiling smugly.

"Hey, filly," he said in a sickly sweet voice.

She giggled and turned. Her fangs were gleaming.

"Hello, Flip Side. What's up?"  
Twilight, slowly, made her way towards the middle of the store, still maintaining the spell, though it was draining her energy. She hid behind a stack of records, listening carefully. Poised behind the stack, she finally heard the conversation in full.

There was a girlish giggle; it must have been Harmony. Then a male laugh. Twilight peered around the stack and caught a glimpse of a brown stallion. Suddenly, the pieces fell together. It seemed that Harmony really had made a friend…or something of that nature. Still, she could not afford to leave quite so quickly.

"So, did you want to hear my latest track? I ripped off of twenty albums to make this one. It's amazing!"

"Ha ha, of course! I can't believe you are so talented!"

The two ponies went over to a record player. The male pony dropped in a record and pulled the pin down towards it. When pin hit record, Twilight heard several harmonies combine to make a jumbled and messy melody. Then, a high-pitched squeal sounded. Twilight had to leave that very minute! She teleported and left the pair quite alone.

Harmony seemed to be entranced, but not necessarily by the "music". Her dark eyes were glued to the stallion in front of her. He was very handsome, after all. She flicked her dark tail. Though it was unlikely he would ever be interested in someone quite like her, there was no reason, after all, that she could not like him. Nothing could be harmed just by liking him…

Flip Side ended the track and pulled the pin up. The female gave him the approval he was looking for, stroking his ego, and smiled once more. The stallion complimented himself, then laughed shyly. Falling silent for a brief moment, he trotted to the back of the store. Harmony waited, tapping her back hoof impatiently. Flip Side returned with a brand-new record in his hoof. He handed it to Harmony, who held it lightly in her claws.

"What's this?" she asked, breathing lightly.

He flicked his tail and stood proudly.

"It's a record I ripped. I want you to listen to it."

Harmony almost squealed. Her wings did ruffle a bit and she beamed.

"It's really mine?"

He nodded.

She put the record gently into her bag and turned to go. Flip Side did not seem to mind and waved to her as she exited the shop. Harmony walked out of the shop giddily. It was her first gift from a stallion! As she left, the sun beat down upon Ponyville; it seemed to be just after midday. Harmony sighed, deciding she should leave before her parents scolded her again. It was not fair that she had to return home so soon, especially when she was assigned to make friends by Twilight. The assignment had not been a recent one, but that was no reason to ignore it per say…

Sighing, Harmony took to the skies. As she flew, just above Ponyville, she saw several residents gasp. One said something to another about "bat ponies". The filly snorted; what did they know anyways? Then, her heart panged. Did Flip Side see her the same way? Though he had given her a gift, he had never directly addressed her…appearance. Perhaps he did not notice. Then again, perhaps he was too frightened to say anything. As she soared towards the cottage, Harmony wondered what it would be like to be close to another pony.

Upon returning home, Harmony went up to her room immediately and closed the door. Fluttershy went to the door and tried to knock, but was frightened off by screaming and wailing coming from what seemed to be the record player. She left Harmony to herself. Discord came into the living room, where his wife was sitting quietly. Fluttershy seemed pensive.

"Fluttershy, darling?" called he, reaching out to her with his paw and claw.

She fell into his arms and kissed him upon the muzzle playfully. Discord smiled, exposing his sharp teeth. The wife, long used to her husband's appearance, did not react, but kissed him again, deeply. He hugged her tightly and swept her off the couch and into his arms.

"It has been awhile you know," said Discord in a low tone.

The pegasus sighed and hummed gently.

"Mm? A while?"

Discord held her out with his arms outstretched. They locked gazes: teal eyes against golden ones. There was a spark between them, as there always had been.

"We should go out, get out of this house. Harmony can be trusted on her own. She is almost grown now."

Fluttershy seemed to melt in Discord's arms. After all, how could she possible hope to deny a request from her own husband? A smile played upon her lips and her teal eyes grew wild. She nodded. Discord snapped his fingers and a note explaining where they had went appeared on Harmony's bed in her room. Then, with a wave of his claw, the couple was gone and off to enjoy a night of romantic flirtations.

The daughter was in her room and, curiously enough, she was also involved in a romantic project. She was upon her bed, covers lying hither and thither, with a record blaring from the record player in the corner. Her ears flicked from side to side as she enjoyed the music and attempted to pick out the pieces such as the harmony and melody. Her cheetah paw was trying to scribble down note patterns and possible lyrics. She hummed in deep concentration; this was important after all. Her legs were folded neatly upon the bed, one hoof tucked under the other. Her cutie mark: the three broken music notes, was in full view. Harmony's eyes flicked down and she clicked her tongue. It felt like cheating…but then again how would using her talent be cheating? With a sigh, she pushed back the sheets of music and stood upon the bed. (The note that her father had magically sent to her fluttered to the floor along with the sheets).

Inhaling deeply, Harmony let out one deep note, which vibrated awkwardly within the confines of her room. From deep within her chest, she could feel the magic well up within her. She tried to concentrate upon Flip Side. She recalled his long brown bangs of his mane and the way his mischievous violet eyes seemed to see everything. His confidence she also remembered, and it made her blush upon recollection. From within her fluffy white chest, a song was forming. In a shriek, somehow filled with passion, Harmony sang out:

" _La la dat da,_

 _For all the music in the world,_

 _I can't give you baby,_

 _But all my feelings, swirled,_

 _In my heart and in my mind,_

 _Baby, I think that maybe,_

 _You could be mine!"_

As she sung, the sheets of music levitated off of the ground and began to spin around. Notes, the very notes and lyrics that she was singing, began to ink themselves upon the pages. She continued to repeat her song until the sheets of music began to transform into a vinyl record, which spun like a coin in the air. It shone brightly until upon the bed was a silver record with a tiny label that read: from Harmony.

Proud, and a bit tired, Harmony lay down upon her bed. Her long mane lay helter-skelter upon the pillow. She snorted a piece of hair out of her nose and took a deep breath. Using her magic was exhausting. Still, she knew that now she had something for Flip Side. Maybe it was possible that he could come to like her despite her appearance if she created something beautiful for him. With a happy note of joy, the filly closed her eyes and fell asleep, letting the record stop on its own.

Little did she know that the note her parents had written to her had also become part of the record…

Early the next morning, Fluttershy found herself in bed, wrapped up in her husband's arms. She moaned softly and stretched out her back, arching it backwards. Her fur ruffled between Discord's lion's paw as she backed away slightly. Her pink mane was in a tizzy and she lifted a hoof to smooth it. This obviously disturbed Discord's slumber as he grumbled and blinked open his eyes. Sunlight was streaming through the window behind the bed.

"What time is it?" Discord ask, his voice full of sleep.

Fluttershy hummed, but did not respond. Her teal eyes blinked and she stretched at sat up upon the bed. Discord yawned and cuddled next to her as she remained seated. Laughing, Fluttershy fluffed her mane.

"We need to get out of bed. Harmony may well be up by now."

"And? She is grown now, practically…she is perfectly fine on her own for an hour or two."

Discord tackled her into the bed and kissed her twice upon the cheeks. She playfully shoved him away, before snuggling back into his arms once more. They remained like this for a long moment, until Fluttershy heard someone calling from downstairs. Perking up, she flew out the door and down the stairs. To her delight, and surprise, it was Twilight Sparkle.

The unicorn was at the doorway, waiting for the parents to come downstairs. Her eyes looked wild and excitable and her mane was a bit frazzled, but not more than Fluttershy's. The draconequus came down as well, his golden eyes still full of sleep. He yawned and snapped his fingers, conjuring a blanket around his shoulders. Twilight began.

"Is Harmony here?"

The mother, concerned, answered simply.

"Why, of course. I'll call her. Harmony…Harmony!"

There came no reply either time. As a group, all three went up the stairs and Fluttershy knocked upon the door to her daughter's room, calling out to her one more time. And still there was no response. Discord was the one to reach forward and opened the door. To their surprise, it was empty.

"There's something I have to tell you both," said Twilight in a low voice.

Discord turned to Twilight and looked her directly in the eyes. There was a brief moment of silence before he growled.

"If this is your doing…"  
Fluttershy put a hoof to his body and prevented Discord from moving any further. Twilight teleported the three of them to the living room, where they could converse in a relatively peaceful environment. She sat down upon on of the chairs from the kitchen, magically moving it from the kitchen/dining area to the living room. The parents sat on the couch. Discord's golden eyes glowed and he looked positively dangerous. Fluttershy's hooves were twirling around one another, waiting for the big news. She, at least, had some idea of what the unicorn was going to say.

"Harmony is in love."

Discord's mouth dropped down quickly and almost comically. His wife was almost as bad; her hooves had flown up to her mouth and her eyes were as wide as saucers. This was not what she had expected at all! Twilight sighed and tapped one hoof upon the chair two times.

"I know this wasn't what either of you expected and, to be honest, I was quite shocked."

Fluttershy interjected here.

"Did you see her with someone yesterday?"

Discord lifted a bushy white eyebrow.

"What does that mean? Were you following our daughter, Twilight?" he hissed.

The purple pony nodded, in shame. Fluttershy tapped her husband's shoulder and he turned to her, almost hurt. She looked ashamed as well and could almost not look him in the eyes herself.

"You knew?"

Fluttershy nodded and her eyes grew wet with tears. Discord grit his teeth, then turned back to the tutor. He had to prioritize his daughter over his own damaged feelings. With a short burst of breath, he choked down tears as well. Then, in a commanding voice, he said:

"Who is it? How could she have met him?"

Twilight did shrug a bit at this, though she did know more than she let on. However, she relented quickly and relayed what she knew.

"It's a stallion that works at the record shop. I took her there once as a filly; he must be the new owner. It's possible she met him when we decided she was able to go back into Ponyville alone."

Discord was seething.

"I never should have let her loose!"

Fluttershy, though upset, did squeak out, through tears:

"No, no. We decided that she could have her freedom. After all, isn't that what was important?"

Discord turned his head away, pouting. His lower lip was large and it seemed as though he, too, were a filly once more. His wife placed a hoof upon his upper arm while Twilight looked on silently. Not everything in this conversation was appropriate for her to comment on.

"Discord, darling, remember when you were imprisoned? Didn't you yearn for freedom then?" came the pegaus' soft query.

The draconequus' eyes lit up as though he had come to an epiphany. He turned and looked down upon the pony sitting next to him. How dear she looked, as soft as ever! Discord nodded and exhaled.

"Yes, I did. Still, there's something worse than being imprisoned…she could be banished."

The unicorn's jaw dropped and the pegasus was once again upon the verge of tears. Her ears flipped downward and every part of her being was both shocked and displeased. Fluttershy did not wait any longer and whispered:

"What do you mean, Discord? Why would Harmony be banished?"

Instead, it was the tutor who answered the question, after making eye contact with the husband. She knew what to say.

"Fluttershy, Harmony's gifts are incredible; we've all seen what she can do. Yet, it seems that she grows more powerful each day, and her emotions play directly into her powers. Her music, like all music, is fueled by emotion. If she, for some reason, cannot stay in love…what will happen then?"  
The pegasus sat forward and her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Are you saying that Harmony is too immature to handle herself? So she's in love! Let's not forget that was what created Harmony in the first place. She's magical, so what? If she's really our daughter, born of our love, then she's not evil and not beyond control either!"

Twilight Sparkle sat very still, affronted. The draconequus did not make any sudden movements either. It was rare to see the pegasus so enraged that she would yell, yet she had done it. While Discord and Twilight both loved Harmony with all their hearts and minds, it was clear where the line in the sand had been drawn. The question remained: was Harmony in control enough to handle her own emotions and, with them, her own magic? The tutor, skilled and learned in magic, knew how difficult it could be. On the other hoof, the draconequus also had experience with out of control magic running amuck across Ponyville. However, it seemed as though the yellow pony could not and would not be reasoned with.

The unicorn got up off of her chair, silently using her magic to put it back in place in the kitchen. She shook her head slowly, letting her bangs dance around upon her forehead. In a way, she was disappointed.

"I leave it up to you, as parents. However, she should continue her lessons with me as soon as possible. I will help her master her magic for good."

With that, the unicorn left. Fluttershy, upon hearing the door close, broke down into pitiful tears. When Discord reached out to her, she rejected him; so, with a heavy heart, he left her to her wretched sadness.

Meanwhile, Harmony was in Ponyville. She had loitered around town since after dawn, but she was still waiting for the right moment. In her knapsack was the precious record with her song recording that she had lovingly made for Flip Side. Maybe, if the song was good enough, Flip Side would officially be her friend…or something more. Still, her nerves were getting the better of her. All she could do at the moment was pace around the town frantically. At this point, she had wandered down the main street so much that she could see her own hoof and paw prints in the dust of the road.

At one point, just after noon, she had her paw upon the door, ready to push it open and enter. However, her heart skipped a beat and she flew backwards away from the door, all in the same minute. Her heart desperately wanted to show Flip Side how she felt about him, but her head would simply not allow it. He could reject her, that was possible. After all, she was well-aware of how other ponies treated her. Even now, they would avoid eye contact with her, thought it seemed as though the insults were fewer since she had begun to make more frequent trips into town. Still, Flip Side had never avoided nor insulted her. That could mean that he really did like her. Her heart beat wildly. Then, with a curse, she realized that she did not have the courage today in the harsh sunlight. With a powerful beat of her bat wings, the half-breed child disappeared from town.

Upon her return, Harmony noticed immediately that something was very wrong. Her parents were sitting on the couch in the living room, dead silent. No animals were about the house chirping or scurrying about. In fact, the only noise that she could discern whatsoever was that of her gentle breath upon her lips. Her mother was sitting up and her eyes looked almost cold, which was beyond unusual for her. Her father looked stern as well, though his gaze was wandering about the room. Harmony dropped her bag and kicked it to the side of the room, unnoticed. For now, it would be better if they did not know about the song. She grinned awkwardly and her fangs were brought to the forefront of the smile. With seemingly no change taking place, she then decided to skirt around her parents and head up the stairs.

"Come here," came the stern, but soft command of her mother.

Harmony was actually going to ignore her and head up, despite the fact that she was normally not a disobedient filly. It was her father that used his magic to transport her in front of them and hold her legs in place. For a fleeting moment, the child felt afraid. Her father was normally not bidden to use magic in the house, especially around her mother. Yet, there she stood, legs rooted in place. Though she was not terrified, a nagging voice called out from within.

"Tell us what you have been doing in town," commanded the father.

Harmony gulped. Her mother, for once, was not telling her father to back down. Her face was as stony as his, though her teal eyes showed some weakness. Should she tell the truth? The better question was…did they already know?

"I…have been doing what I was supposed to do: talking with other ponies."

To be fair, it wasn't a total lie.

"With whom?" came her mother's soft command. Always quiet, yet there was a steely edge behind it.

"Um."

Discord's chest went up rapidly. It was clear he was trying to maintain his temper. Harmony swallowed and decided that there was no alternative.

"His name is Flip Side. He works at the record store I like to go to, that's all."

This time, Discord did not hold himself back. He was in the air, wings flapping furiously. Magic, for Harmony could feel the magic around him, began to surge in the room. Things levitated, including the couch, and there came a storm cloud of cotton candy that began to shower all three of them in chocolate rain.

"Harmony! How could you do this? I—"

Fluttershy put her hoof on his chest and stared her husband down. Looking in her eyes, he began to calm down and the magic levels dropped. The couch, too, fell down and everything returned to normal. The storm cloud shriveled up. Harmony shook out her mane to free it of chocolate milk.

"It's not like it's a big deal. It's what you wanted," spat Harmony defensively.

Fluttershy went to her daughter and hugged her gently, kissing her forehead as she drew away. As always, she smelled of peonies.

"We worry about you, Harmony. This is the first time you've really been out to experience the world. You can't let your emotions take control of you."

Harmony rolled her deep eyes.

"They won't! We're not even dating so just back off."

Discord snapped his fingers and Harmony turned to him.

"Watch your tone, missy. We're still your parents."

Harmony closed her eyes and let out a low, shaking tone. The magic around her, from her father, began to loosen, until she was free and flying in the air. Her eyes turned white once more and the magic told hold of her.

"I am grown now," came her screeching voice.

Fluttershy flew up and met her daughter's eyes.

"Stop it, Harmony."

The white eyes did not disappear instantly. They lingered for a moment or two until Harmony blinked them away, her midnight eyes returning to their usual hue. She shook her head, eyes full of tears, and went to her room. The door slammed and the house rumbled. Her music came on.

Fluttershy flew to her husband, embracing him. She began to weep softly. He comforted her and stroked her mane, but deep down he was also weary and weepy. They both shared the same concern about their precious daughter. Though she was a lovely pony with a great talent, it was clear she was on the brink of being out of control. Of course, there was only one other pony they could turn to.

The next morning, Twilight Sparkle was over at the cottage bright and early. So early, in fact, that she had to go into Harmony's room to wake her. The room itself was in such chaos that Twilight had to light her horn and squint in order to discern what was Harmony. She was spread out on the bed, covers awry. There were records strewn throughout the room. Fortunately, or not, the purple unicorn did not see the special record inside of Harmony's bag. If she had, perhaps she would have known instantly what it was.

Instead, Twilight used her magic to lift the pony's shades, letting light stream into the room. Harmony groaned from on her bed, mane unbrushed and in clumps around her face.

"Come on, Harmony. It's time for lessons, as always," goaded Twilight.

Harmony grumbled once more.

"Ugh, fine, I'm coming."

And, without brushing her mane or preparing herself whatsoever, as was the norm, Harmony stretched her wings and flew out of her room, tail dragging on the wooden floor. Twilight rolled her eyes and trotted out the door. They reunited in the living room, when the tutor did something a bit differently. She trotted out the door, beckoning for the filly to follow her. In the sunlight, which admittedly Harmony did not like, they walked down the beaten path towards the forest. Tutor and tutee did not speak, but enjoyed the wonderful weather. As they wandered down, Twilight seemed to be leading Harmony into the Everfree Forest.

"Where are we going?"

"There's a lake in the forest that I want you to see."

Harmony gulped, but said nothing more. She would not dare to admit that she had ventured in the forest some times before. Still, even now she began to hear the call. The sweet call coming from the middle of the forest. She resisted and stayed behind the unicorn as they trotted into the mist of the woods. The trees overshadowed the small ponies. Harmony felt the darkness closing in on her and, though she was afraid of the whispering in the woods, the darkness felt much kinder to her than the light. Her eyes adjusted instantly and her body felt more alert, more alive. The muscles on her back rippled.

Twilight looked behind her and saw that Harmony was standing a bit taller. When she stood up straight, the filly was quite tall, even taller than the tutor herself. There was a loping gait to her cheetah and pony legs; they seemed graceful. The darkness made Harmony glow. Even her black mane seemed to shine with a sort of blueish luster. The unicorn shook her head; it was all only her imagining.

The lake was towards the edge of the forest. It was small and calm, with a glassy surface that remained undisturbed. There was little light streaming in through the leaves and the midst in the forest, but yet the water glowed. Twilight winked at Harmony and…walked directly onto the lake. Her hooves stepped upon the very surface of the water, making ripples as she went. When she was in the center of the lake, her horn began to glow and several balls of water flew out and began to hover gently around her. After a moment of silence, she let the magic fall and walked back to the shore. Harmony was aghast.

"How did you do that?"  
Twilight laughed lightly and winked.

"Control."

For the rest of the time, Harmony spent her energies trying to craft a song that could maintain her body over the water without letting herself sink into it. It took all of her concentration, and quite a bit of sweat, even just to try not to fall. Her voice would rise and fall with the levels of magic until finally, there was no more, and she fell with a splash into the lake. With sigh, she shook herself dry and exited the lake, frustrated.

"It's the end of the day, Harmony. We should get going."

Harmony bit her lip and rolled onto her belly. She sighed.

"You go; I'll keep working."

Shrugging, and seeing no harm in it, Twilight left. She patted Harmony's head with a hoof, careful to avoid her horns, and trotted out of the woods. When her shadow had disappeared from the path, Harmony stood up and shook herself off. The voice was in her ears again. She shrugged it away and went out onto the lake to try the spell once more, to no avail. She tried a second time, but still could not quite achieve it. After falling into the lake three times, Harmony hissed and flew off. The voice began to sing louder and louder. This time, she followed it.

As she sped through the forest, dodging hanging branches and tufts of leaves, Harmony's ears were perked up and alert. Her bat wings were careful to avoid the pointy branches that could easily puncture her soft membrane. Still, her chest was puffed out and her legs tucked in as she sped forward. Nothing could stop the call, nor her for listening to it. The soft song turned into a complex melody the closer she got to it. Then, she came upon a special place.

Before the filly was a stone. It was oddly shaped and, in a different time, could have been a sort of statue or marking. Now it was a slab of rock with a sort of a spiral to it at the top. Though it was taller than her by far, she could tell it had been broken down and damaged. The smooth stone was not covered in vines or moss, however, which was suspicious. As Harmony approached, the song filled her ears once more. She laid a soft paw upon the stone and felt another conscious approach hers. In her mind, she defended against it, suspicious of its motives. The conscious, which felt like a few distinct ones melding together, for there were three different melodies in the same song, spoke something to her, but she could not hear it. Finally, closing her blue eyes, the filly let the strange mind speak to her.

 _Hello._

Harmony recoiled within her mind. So it could speak to her directly. Though the words were clear, they were still lisping and ebbed gently against her mind, as if they were part of a song.

 _Hello, who are you?_ asked the filly, suspiciously.

 _We, for we are one and many, are special. We are the same as you._

 _How so?_ queried the half-breed.

A song began to play out in the filly's mind. There were clashing harmonies in sevenths and thirds. G major soon turned to E minor with no break in-between. Then came a soft cadence which tinkled like a little bell.

 _We are gifted with music, as you are._

Harmony's eyes twitched from under her closed lids.

 _I can hear you. You are all gifted. Why can't I see you?_

There was a pause, then a crescendo into a high C. Harmony folded her ears down instinctively. There came, suddenly, a surge of power and it flowed through every fiber of her being. She felt it.

 _We are but shadows, ghosts! This statue is a sister to the world we currently inhabit. We can but speak through it and no more._

 _Why have you been banished?_

A hiss sounded in Harmony's mind. She noted it sounded remarkably like her own.

 _We were sent away because of our gift! When we showed the world our lovely song, we were banished for the mage Starswirl the Bearded grew fearful of us!_

 _That doesn't sound right. Why would a mage as wise as he punish you unjustly?_

 _Because the ponies fear power! They fear the song that we both hold deep in our hearts. Look to yourself, filly, for you know it to be true._

Harmony did look inside of herself just then. In her brief moment of introspection, deep in her weary heart, she found those words rang true. Her tutor, her beloved mentor, Twilight was afraid of her power. She was always trying to control it. Her parents, even, feared what her song could really do. Why should she not feel all the things she could? Why hide her feelings, and her gift, from the world? And why were all those useless ponies so afraid of her?

 _Even so, what can I possibly do about it?_

The creatures stirred and for a long moment, the pony felt nauseous. She could feel their power, even thought it was only the shadow, and it made her physically ill. They felt…strong.

 _You could open the portal with your magic. You can help us return home at last. We are so lonesome to be among our own kind again…_

Harmony perked up.

 _Own kind? Where are you?_

 _A wretched place. Not fit for pony-kind._

 _I can't open the portal. I don't know how nor do I know you…_

There was silence and for a minute, the pony was unsure of how the force would react.

 _Very well. Just remember, filly, that those other ponies will not trust you. They do not trust your power, so they fear it. For this, they will fear you. Be wary!_

With that, the power withdrew and Harmony reached back her paw. Her heart was beating wildly. Who were those creatures? What world could they possibly exist in? And what did they mean by "they will fear you"? There were simply too many queries to ponder in one moment. The pony stepped back from the statue, gazing back at her cutie mark: the three broken musical notes. This was her talent and it was her power to embrace or deny. This much she was sure of. Then, as she was leaving, she gazed back at the statue. From the right angle, it looked as though the statue had once been a pony body, upright and kicking the forelegs forward. However, it sat diagonally on a square stone base. Blinking once more, she lost the image and retreated from the forest.

The pony, though she was truly a half-breed, returned home. The sun had set and only now did she realize how much time had passed in the forest. Speaking with the creatures must have taken longer than she had thought. Even now, Harmony could not shake their song from her mind. It felt like an ancient lullaby, calling her home. With a sigh, she returned to her real home of the cottage in the woods. Her mother waved to her from outside. She was in the field behind the house, tending to the animals. Harmony came to her mother's side.

"Hello, darling. Did you have a good day with Twilight? You were out awfully late."

Harmony was not agitated by the question, but she was aware that it was a probing one, though subtly done.

"Yes. Twilight and I worked on magic control. And I stayed in the forest to practice after Twilight had gone."

Fluttershy dropped the bag of seed she had been tossing. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. She grabbed her daughter by the sides.

"You weren't in the Everfree Forest, were you?" she asked, almost screaming.

Harmony backed away. Though the Everfree was famous for how dark and unpredictable it could be, it seemed perfectly safe to her. After all, she had been in and out multiple times. Still, now did not seem like a good time to reveal that information.

"I…with Twilight, yes. We were perfectly safe. We were alone the whole time."

Fluttershy shook her head softly, trying to get ahold of herself.

"Yes, of course…well, please do not go back without my permission."

Harmony rolled her eyes again.

"Yes. Whatever."

Though she knew the woods were not dangerous, Harmony decided not to push the subject any further. Though it was not unusual to see her mother timid, frankly it was upsetting to see her so truly fearful. Was there something in the woods that she should be afraid of? Should the voices in the woods be causing her fright, or was it something entirely different? Harmony left her mother to tend to the animals and went inside. Her father, his long snake-like body stretched upon the couch, beckoned for her as well. Dutifully, she came to his side.

"Yes, daddy?" she asked sweetly, using the diminutive name.

Discord took her into his arms, though she was now much too big, and hugged her tightly. She expected him to release her, but he did not. His eyes were closed and he continued to snuggle her closely. Harmony, though she loved her father, was not expecting such an embrace.

"What is it?"

He sighed and loosened his grip, but did not let her down.

"Harmony, you really do need to be careful. There is a fate worse than death for those who trifle with magic. Please, please, promise me you will be cautious from now on."

The child squirmed and fell, landing deftly on her feet. Her back hooves clicked against the wooden floor. She blew a chunk of black hair out of her eyes.

"I will; I am."

Discord's eyes looked full of pain and he sunk into the couch once more. Harmony did not reach out to comfort him. In fact, this was the first time she had seen him look so defeated.

"Harmony…I love you so much. Please, don't forget that. No matter what happens, I love you."

The filly, unsure and frightened, ran into her room and locked the door. Her heart was once again racing. Why were her parents so scared and wary lately? What could they be hiding from her? She knew better than to ask them directly, though she could always ask Twilight anyways. Sitting in her darkened room, the half-breed pondered all that had happened. Then, sighing, she turned the record player on and drowned out the worries in the blaring music.

The next day, Harmony did not leave her room. She was sitting in the darkened room, shades drawn, with her record player still running. By noon, it was clear she was not coming out, despite her parent's and tutor's pleas. Her mind was in a tizzy, even still. She was trying to work up the courage to give the record to Flip Side, or go into Ponyville whatsoever. Yet, her heart burned and pined and even her mind now longed for a definitive answer. She was in love, there was no denying that. However, she wanted to know if he was in love with her as well. That was the question at hoof, or at paw as it were.

The sun fell down and Harmony, sighing deeply, watched it as it said. The oranges and deep purples of the sky reflected onto her face as she stared out her window. The night sky made her feel more alive, somehow, and she found herself more filled with courage than ever. Grabbing her bag, Harmony decided to fly out the window and leave, without her parent's knowledge. It was not as though they had forbidden her from leaving the house, however they had certainly not been keen on the idea of her following her heart. Which, to her, made little sense. Why should she not pursuit her true love?

Harmony, bag on her back, leapt from the windowsill and fell headfirst towards the ground. Then, at the last moment, her bat wings spread and the air below them swelled. The wind carried her up from the dewy grass towards the night sky. Owls hooted in the distance as she made her flight. Her mane and tail were swept up in the breeze. Her midnight eyes sparkled and a smile played out across her lips. Though she had always loved the daytime, and certainly had no "bat-pony" sunlight aversions, the nighttime made her feel reckless and wild. She felt the magic within her swell and so, as her wings scraped each air current, she sang. Her voice was as clear as a bell, but the odd intonations made the song all her own.

" _I know you're made of-ah-of-a-of,_

 _Love-ah-ah-ove._

 _Love-ah-ah-ove!"_

As she sung, the starts began to shift in the sky. She shaped them to look like Flip Side's cutie mark of a record. When She had finished, her toothy grin flashed the night. One final note sent the moon into a tizzy and it flashed red for a brief moment. With a full heart, and a blank mind, she flew down into Ponyville with a nosedive, her bag flapping against her sides. She landed on the ground, digging her hooves and paws into the soft dirt road. The fountain burbled from the plaza, but otherwise the night was silent.

There was a dull light coming from inside of the shop, as if it were from a candle. Harmony opened the door to the shop, hearing the bell tinkle as it opened. The filly, her long legs bringing her into the store, stood awkwardly near the front of the shop. She smoothed out her mane with the claws on her front paw. Then, nervously, she coughed.

There was a small commotion in the back of the shop and the filly heard records being shuffled around. Flip Side, his handsome face striking in the low light of the shop, stepped out from behind the record stacks. The violet eyes met midnight ones.

"Harmony? Why are you out here so late?"

She shrugged and hid her face behind her fluffy bangs.

"I haven't seen you around lately," he continued, walking towards her.

Harmony mumbled in response.

Flip Side saw her reach into the backpack and pull out a record. It seemed homemade as the label was paper-based and colored with paints. He took it from her awaiting paw and went to his personal record player at the back of the store. The record began as soon as the pin fell to the vinyl. The stallion waited, patiently, for the record to begin as the song crackled to life. Harmony felt excited for him to hear it, though it was not as she remembered it. In fact, instead of her rock-style screamo balled, the song began with a quartet of violins playing a slow ballad. Then, the music swelled and changed abruptly to a slashing guitar riff. Harmony's ears perked; what was wrong with her song?

The notes clashed and bashed until falling all but silent. Then, a lone flute played a quavering vibrato tone. Soft lyrics, which Harmony did recognize as her own, began to sing out:

" _La la dat da,_

 _For all the music in the world,_

 _I can't give you baby,_

 _But all my feelings, swirled,_

 _In my heart and in my mind,_

 _Baby, I think that maybe,_

 _You could be mine!"_

However, as soon as the chorus finished, the song changed once again to a piano sonata coupled with a freeform saxophone jazz solo. Harmony's heart raced with the beat and she watched in horror as the song continued to crescendo. This was not what she had intended at all! Yet, from within her, the tune felt innately familiar, and she found she could not hate it whatsoever. As the song finally ended, Flip Side pulled the pin and stood quietly for a moment.

"That was interesting," he said forthright.

The pony bowed her head nervously. What did that mean? She was beginning to perspire, even beneath her grey fur. Finally, she gazed upwards and saw the violet eyes analyzing her.

"It was certainly well done. Thank you for sharing this with me, Harmony."

This lifted her spirits. Her tail flicked one and her wings shuffled almost excitedly. With a deep breath, she moved towards Flip Side, ready to confess her true feelings. The stallion stood where he was, unsure of what was really going on.

"Flip Side, thanks so much. It means so much to me that you liked my song. It was…for you."

He stood perfectly still, then flipped his bangs out of his eyes.

"Wow, thank you so much. I'm very flattered," he admitted neutrally.

Harmony hunched her shoulders, dejected.

"I…I made it to tell you that…I love you."

The stallion's eyes grew wide and almost doubled in size. It was evident that he had no idea that this was coming. In fact, it seemed as though he had expected nothing at all, or had not been prepared for it. He could do nothing but stand in shock as Harmony waited expectantly for a proper answer.

"Flip Side?" asked she again, in a broken voice.

"I'm sorry, Harmony. I already…well it's just that I have a special somepony."

This news did not register with the filly whatsoever. What did he just say? He had certainly not said that she was going to be his very special somepony. After all, she had worked so hard. Could it be that he did not want her? How could that be true? Was he the same as everypony else, judgmental and cruel? If he did not love her then…then…

"NO!" screeched the half-breed, eyes swimming with hot tears.

Flip Side, who seemed genuinely shocked and upset, tried to comfort her. He reached out for her, in order to calm her down, but she rejected him with a quick shake of her head. There were tears streaming down her grey face and her teeth were clenched. The fangs seemed longer and sharper than ever before. The stallion tried to say something, anything, but Harmony had closed him off. She dashed outside, with Flip Side hot on her trail.

"Harmony, please, I—" he began.

There came a shriek so shrill and high-pitched that the windows of the shop shattered. Harmony, standing on the dirt road in the center of Ponyville, was wailing pitifully. Flip Side realized, then, that he could truly do nothing more. He was standing in shock as Harmony was raised off the ground. Her eyes turned bright white as she rose, her back hooves dangling in the air. Soon, all of Ponyville was observing as Harmony's song grew stronger and louder. There was a doleful tune, out of key, wailing for all of the town to hill. Twilight from her home, heard the tune and instantly realized who it was. She teleported immediately to Fluttershy's cottage, leaving Spike to wonder what was going on.

"Come quickly and bring your element," was all she said in the cottage.

Fluttershy did so, though she was worried and confused. Discord, who was alongside, teleported them all back to Ponyville. It did not take them long to realize why they were there. For, in the center of the sky, shining like a star, was their beloved daughter. Discord tried to snap his fingers and use his magic in order to get Harmony back on the ground. It did nothing. His face grew long and his eyes wide. Why would his magic not work against her? He tried to control the magic around her, but it was no good. He stood dumbly on the ground. The pegasus beside him looked distraught. Already, she was in tears.

The song grew even louder until most of Ponyville was shut in their houses with earmuffs on. However, a few brave souls exited their places of residence and joined Twilight. The Mane Six gathered near the unicorn: Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight and, of course, Fluttershy. Each of them wore a glimmering jewel upon their necks: the Elements of Harmony. Seeing these gems made the mother even more upset and she began to panic, breathing in and out quickly over and over.

"What are we going to do?" shouted Pinkie Pie over all the noise.

Rarity was holding her mane down with one hoof, for the wind spiraling around the town seemed downright hostile. The ponies gathered around Twilight. Her eyes were focused upon the sky where there was a pony shining like a star, and destroying the town with her musical storm.

"We'll try and talk to her first. But we can't let this go on forever—her magic is expanding even as we speak!" yelled Twilight.

Fluttershy screamed.

"NO! We will do nothing but talk to her. We can't hurt her! I can't hurt her!"

Applejack turned to the pegasus and comforted her gently. Still, the honest pony knew that the situation appeared dire. The town was in near shambles and the house next to them had just transformed to have legs. She gazed over at Discord, who was frantically trying to change anything using his magic, but nothing appeared to be working.

Then, though it had always been obvious, Twilight spotted a stallion standing in the street. It was the same one she had seen with Harmony. She galloped towards him.

"Who are you?" yelled the unicorn.

The stallion backed up a moment, but responded just the same:

"Flip Side! I own this record shop! Harmony came in and then went crazy!"  
Twilight's eyes bulged. He had been involved after all.

"What did you say to her?!"

"I told her had already had a special somepony. I tried to calm her down but she wouldn't listen!"

Then, suddenly, the star became even brighter in the sky. There was a low, almost baritone note, and a sound wave spread from the star and through the town. Twilight and company flew backwards several feet. The sky changed into a pitch-black color and the cutie mark of Harmony, the three broken notes, blazed in the sky. From the heavens came a hauntingly powerful voice.

" _No! You betrayed me! You betrayed my love! And now I will turn all of Equestria into a wasteland! There will be no more love in Equestria!"_

Discord took action first. He flew up, as close as he could get, for the gale-force winds wished to prevent him from coming any closer, and tried to speak to his daughter. His voice was barely heard above the storm of song, but it was clear enough.

"Harmony! Stop this! You can't destroy Equestria. Please, please, believe me. Please stop!"

The daughter seemed to cease for a moment. There was a pause in the song and the lips of the half-breed parted. Her fangs were long and sharp. But the next note of the song passed from her lips and, from there, it was all over. The song crescendo and the father was thrown to the ground. He was out cold. Fluttershy ran to him, weeping. She shook him gently, begging him to awaken, but he would not. Twilight ran to her friend and gave her a solemn look.

"This can't go on," she stated simply.

Yet the mother tried one last time.

"Please, my darling Harmony, please stop!"

There was a flash of white light. The ponies covered their eyes briefly with their hooves, but when they removed them, they saw a sight unlike any other. There was no more Harmony, at least not the one they had come to know. In her place was a monster. The bat wings spread and covered the sky, blocking out the traces of light from the blazing cutiemark in the sky. The mane and tail whipped around in the wind and the body was longer and thinner than ever. She looked mature, grown.

"We have to use the elements!" called Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy shook her head, weeping pitifully.

Then, a tornado formed around Harmony as she began to sing again. The sky shattered into pieces and what was once black gave way to a million colors. Bits of the roof began to fly in towards the sky. It was a black hole with Harmony at the center. Fluttershy could delay no longer. With a deep sigh, that she would later recall, the mother did the most difficult thing any parent could do. She stood in formation, behind Twilight, and the rest followed suit.

A swirl of rainbows enveloped the Mane Six and the ponies rose slowly off the ground. The ponies let their magic surround them, their individual characteristics coming to shine. The Gem of Generosity shot diamonds into the night while the Element of Loyalty show thunderbolts. Fluttershy, her butterflies flying out around her, was the only one with her eyes open. Though she was "willingly" using her element, her heart was in shreds. Twilight's magical crown sent out the final blow. The rainbow that had been building up around them went flying towards the "grown" Harmony. The white eyes, too late, grew wide with realization. There was a fatal cry as the rainbow came in contact with herself and her magic; there was no way to save herself.

The ponies in Ponyville watched in horrified amazement as Harmony screeched and her body went, racing, with the rainbow until it flew like an arrow and landed into the Everfree Forest, into the portal. The work was over.

Fluttershy ran once more to her husband, who was just coming-to. He mumbled something indiscernible as she cried. He put his paw delicately to her face and soft words could be heard upon his breath.

"Where is she?"

The mother howled in pain, as if she was the one who had been banished. Her happiness had fled.

"She's gone…Harmony is gone…"

Though the world around them had reverted back to her normal state, the parents felt as if their entire world had shifted completely. Discord held Fluttershy in his arms while the other ponies watched from afar. No one said a word.

And from deep within the forest, the portal shimmered, then went cold. Harmony truly was gone….

 _To be continued…_


End file.
